Empty the Bench

Week 8 is a bit of a weird one all around in the fantasy world.

Given the drab mudfest at London’s Wembley Stadium last year between the Miami Dolphins and New York Giants, we feel like we’re going out on a bit of limb this week by ranking Philip Rivers and Drew Brees #1 and #2 amongst fantasy QB plays. If the notoriously dreary, rainy, fall weather across the pond sets in again, both could very well see their high-octane passing attacks give way to the thrilling action of handoffs to Deuce McAllister and LaDainian Tomlinson over and over … and over.

But aside from Favre’s “slam-dunk” matchup at home against the dismal KC Chiefs– we saw what Favre did (or didn’t do) against the Raiders last week and he’ll be without Coles and maybe Cotchery this week–there really aren’t too many matchups to get psyched about at quarterback. It’s a bit murky at wide receiver, too, given the suckiness of Brad Johnson and other fill-in QBs having a negative impact on the likes of T.J., T.O. and Dwayne Bowe. At least one thing’s for certain though: our man Andre Johnson is rolling.

He’s torched the Colts, Dolphins, and lowly Lions these last three weeks for a combined 30 receptions, 450 yards, and 2 TDs… and despite their artificially inflated ranking against the pass (6th overall), I don’t expect the Bungles to offer much resistance either.

Onto the Week 8 ranks…

Fantasy Week 8 – Top 20 Quarterbacks

1. Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers @ NO
2. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints vs. SD
3. Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Eagles vs. ATL
4. Brett Favre, New York Jets vs. KC
5. Matt Schaub, Houston Texans vs. CIN
6. Kurt Warner, Arizona Cardinals @ CAR
7. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts @ TEN
8. Jason Campbell, Washington Redskins @ DET
9. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. NYG
10. Eli Manning, New York Giants @ PIT
11. Matt Cassel, New England Patriots vs. STL
12. Jake Delhomme, Carolina Panthers vs. ARZ
13. Jeff Garcia, Tampa Bay Bucs @ DAL
14. Marc Bulger, St. Louis Rams @ NE
15. Derek Anderson, Cleveland Browns @ JAX
16. David Garrard, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. CLE
17. Trent Edwards, Buffalo Bills @ MIA
18. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons @ PHI
19. J.T. O’Sullivan, San Francisco 49ers vs. SEA
20. Dan Orlovsky, Detroit Lions vs. WSH

The rest of the Week 8 fantasy football ranks after the break…

Read the rest of this article »

This week the Sea Hammock hit pretty close to home. As many of you know, I am, unfortunately, a Minnesota Vikings fan. We’ve had some pretty dismal losses this season and along the way we’ve seen more than our fair share of terrible calls and bumbling ineptitude. With a chance to pull into first place in the NFC North, even if only temporarily, Sunday’s loss to the Bears took the cake.

Minnesota does two things well: run the football and stop people from running the football. When you do both of those things well and still manage to give up 48 points in a loss there are a lot of fingers to point – and fantasy owners who started the Viqueens D have every right to extend their meaty digits squarely in the direction of Minnesota’s hapless secondary and (very) special teams.

On paper the Minnesota Vikings defense was one of the strongest plays of the week. They had only allowed a team to top 20 points twice this season, at Green Bay in Week 1 and at New Orleans in Week 5 (and Reggie Bush did most of that damage returning punts).

Those were both road games, but they were against solid offensive teams with strong quarterback play. This week they were on the road again, but it was in Chicago where they typically perform well. Kyle Orton has turned a corner this season, but he’s still Kyle Orton – he of the career 72.1 QB Rating and 55.5% career completion percentage. And Matt Forte has been productive, but the rookie rusher hadn’t topped 4.0 YPC since Week 1. Walter Peyton he is not.

With Adrian Peterson’s track record of abusing the Bears rushing defense Minnesota figured to be in control of the game all afternoon. There was no reason they couldn’t control the clock, dictate the pace they like (slow), and put themselves in a position to drop men back and keep the ball in front of them. Well Purple Jesus did his part, so what the hell happened guys?

“On paper” went out the window in the first quarter of a game that saw the Bears score more points than they have in a game since the Walter Peyton era. 1986, to be specific. The rush defense was actually very strong, which is frustrating because the Vikes still managed to allow a staggering 48 points that absolutely killed your fantasy team. The secondary stunk all game, allowing Orton to complete 21 of 32 passes for 283 yards, 2 TDs and 0 INTs, good for a 114.5 QB Rating. Kyle fucking Orton.

The secondary’s performance aside, the Vikings (very) special teams play that cost them the game. Well, that and Gus Frerotte’s 4 INTs… but that’s beside the point. The Viqueens allowed not one but two punts, one going each way, to be brought back for touchdowns.

The first special teams touchdown came on a comical series in the opening quarter when punter Chris Kluwe dropped a snap and had his punt blocked. Kluwe then attempted an illegal kick but managed to put it directly into the hands of Garrett Wolfe, who promptly returned it 17 yards for a touchdown. Later, Charles Gordon mishandled a Brad Maynard punt. The ball hit him and the Bears recovered it in the end zone, giving Chicago a 24-17 lead. That makes five inexcusable touchdowns allowed by Minnesota’s special teams on the season.

There’s just nothing worse than your fantasy defense taking a hit because of the hapless play of the team’s special teams. It’s maddening. But so was the performance of the Vikings as a whole on Sunday. Unfortunately there can only be one Sea Hammock of the Week. For giving up 48 points to the Bears (the fucking Bears!) in the most infuriating ways possible, you, Minnesota Vikings Defense/Special Teams, are ETB’s Sea Hammock of the Week for Week 7.

Now get out of my sight, you sicken me.

Past Sea Hammocks of the Week:
- Week 1 Sea Hammock – Tom Brady
- Week 2 Sea Hammock – Hurricane Ike
- Week 3 Sea Hammock – Ronnie Brown
– Week 4 Sea Hammock – Jason Garrett
- Week 5 Sea Hammock – LaDainian Tomlinson
- Week 6 Sea Hammock – The Entire Carolina Panthers Offense

Kyle Orton Photo from Deadspin

Phew. It’s been a harried 36 hours here at Empty the Bench. The site went down unexpectedly on Monday afternoon and we’ve been doing our best to get it back up and running ever since, but it looks like we’re out of the woods for now.

ETB would like to sincerely apologize to all of our readers for the service interruption and thank you for bearing with us while we figured this out. Neither of us is the most tech savvy guy, so we were forced to consult outside help to get the matter resolved.

We’re back now though, and we’re ready to do what we do best: provide you with high-caliber insight and analysis on the National Basketball Association and National Footbal League with our usual fantasy rankings and articles mixed in for good measure. Just in time for the NBA season to kick off next Tuesday, too.

Enjoy, and hopefully it’ll be smooth sailing from here on out. Special thank you to Tyler of Meat Junkie and Whiskey & Aspirin fame for his help, consultation, and patience.

- Brian and Andrew

We’re back again with the latest volley in the ever-popular Blogger Previews. Today we tackle the Northwest Division of the Western Conference, featuring some of the youngest teams in the NBA. Last season the division was won by the old-school, new-look Jazz led by Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer doing their best John Stockton and Karl Malone impersonations. The Denver Nuggets also made the playoffs out West behind the trio of Carmelo Anthony, Marcus Camby and Allen Iverson in one of the strongest seasons of his career – the loss of Camby figures to make the feat tough to repeat though.

That should make room for the young guns in Portland, a roster led by Brandon Roy and “rookie” Greg Oden and as laden with young talent as any team in the NBA. The Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder figure to pull up the rear once again, but even these rosters feature exciting youngsters like Al Jefferson, Kevin Durant, Rany Foye, Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook.

It should be another fun season to watch in the Northwest, and the bloggers below have all you need to know to prep for the season ahead.

Denver Nuggets
Jeremy: Pickaxe and Roll
Nick Sclafani: The Nugg Doctor

Minnesota Timberwolves
Derek Hanson & Staff: TWolves Blog
Andrew Thell: Empty the Bench
wyn: Canis Hoopus

Oklahoma City
xphoenix87: BallerBlogger
Zorgon: Blue Blitz
Royce: The Thunderworld  

Portland Trail Blazers
Mookie: …a stern warning
Benjamin Golliver: Blazers Edge

Coup and SJ: Rip City Project

Utah Jazz
UtesFan89: The Utah Jazz
Basketball John: SLC Dunk

More 2008-09 NBA Blogger Previews

Eastern Conference:
- Atlantic Division
- Central Division
- Southwest Division

Western Conference:
- Southwest Division
- Northwest Division
- Pacific Division

It’s only the preseason, and unfortunately dunking remains the one and only thing Dallas Mavericks swingman Gerald Green consistently does at a high level. Still–we’re suckers for his posterizations no matter when they happen, like this filthy one from Saturday night on Sacramento Kings stiff Spencer Hawes. We believe in you, Gerald. We believe in you.

Related Reading:
- The Dallas Mavericks Quietly Abscond with Former Dunk Champ Gerald Green
- In Case You Missed It: Highlights from All Star Saturday Night
- Untapped Potential: Ten NBA Players We Want to See on the Court More Often

For all the changes made by the Pacers, Bucks, and Bulls, it still looks like a two team race between the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers for the NBA’s Central Division crown.

The Indiana Pacers finally turned the page on Jermaine O’Neal, trading him to the Toronto Raptors for PG T.J. Ford and also adding Jarrett Jack to the backcourt mix, but don’t figure into the playoff hunt this year. The Chicago Bulls are poised to improve with first-overall pick Derrick Rose likely starting at PG, Luol Deng hoping to bounce back from an injury-plagued season, and new head coach Vinney del Negro bringing a new style of play; growing pains are likely. And the Bucks… well, they’re going to score a lot of points with Richard “Peanut” Jefferson in the fold and Charlie Vilanueva playing consistent minutes, but they’re also going to drive head coach Scott Skiles crazy with their lack of defensive acumen.

It’s still the Detroit Pistons, now under the direction of head coach Michael Curry, and the Cleveland LeBrons, however, that will in all likelihood compete for division title. But don’t take it from us–the NBA Blogger Previews series rolls on with a look at the Eastern Conference’s Central Division (including our analysis of the Pistons).

Chicago Bulls
Nels: Give Me The Rock
Matt: Blog-a-Bull

Cleveland Cavaliers
Rock: Waiting For Next Year
FTS: Fear The Sword
David Friedman: 20 Second Timeout

Detroit Pistons
Brian Spencer: Empty the Bench
Natalie Sitto: Need4Sheed.com
Matt Watson: Detroit Bad Boys

Indiana Pacers
Tom: Indy Cornrows

Milwaukee Bucks
Jeramey Jannene: The Bratwurst
Frank Madden: BrewHoop

More 2008-09 NBA Blogger Previews

Eastern Conference:
- Atlantic Division
- Central Division
- Southwest Division

Western Conference:
- Southwest Division
- Northwest Division
- Pacific Division

2007-08 Season Record: 22-60
Personnel Losses: Marko Jaric (Trade), Antoine Walker (Trade), O.J. Mayo (Draft-rights trade… sorry, I had to bring it up)
Personnel Additions: Kevin Love (Draft-rights trade), Mike Miller (Trade), Rodney Carney (Trade), Jason Collins (Trade), Brian Cardinal (Trade), Calvin Booth (Trade)

Being a Minnesota Timberwolves fan isn’t fun. I know. The NBA season just happens to coincide with the most dismal, dreary months of the Minnesota calendar. The climate becomes so inhospitable that it can literally burn your skin with frostbite from mere minutes of exposure. The sun goes down before you get home from work. For five months you live like some kind of troglodyte, avoiding the out of doors at all costs.

And so you turn up the heat, you don your flannel pajamas at 7:00 PM, you sit down on the couch and you watch television.

Since 1989, that means you watch a lot of Timberwolves games. You watch through the lean years of a bungling expansion franchise, waiting for your turn. You watch as they set an NBA record by losing at least 60 games for four consecutive seasons, but you stick with it.

When a player finally shines like a ray of hope, you latch onto him. You lionize him. You internalize his struggle and map it onto your own. His pitfalls and his triumphs somehow mean more than basketball. You fall in love with Kevin Garnett. And Kevin Garnett falls in love with Minnesota and the people who worship him. The people agree to pay him $126 million to stay for six years and then extend him for more than $20 million a year after that.

It’s not about the money though, it’s about finally having a hero, a winner. A guy you can be proud of. You stick with him through thick and thin, even after another troubling NBA record is set: seven consecutive defeats in the first round of the playoffs. Then in 2004 a couple of wily veterans come into town, things click, and you have the best record in the Western Conference. Kevin Garnett is named the NBA MVP. Things are looking up… until a gut-wrenching loss to the former Minneapolis Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.

Then things start to come unraveled again. The Wolves miss the playoffs the next three seasons after participating in every postseason since 1996. It becomes increasingly clear that the relationship with Kevin Garnett isn’t the match made in heaven you thought it was. He’s outgrown you, he needs something you can’t give and you’re holding him down. Finances start to get in the way more than they ever did before. He says he’s still committed and he works hard at it because he feels obligated, but it’s clear he deserves another shot with a city that can give him what he needs.

You need to move on.

So you send Kevin packing and you start over with a new young kid named Al, who shows all kinds of promise. It’s not an easy thing to do, but it needs to be done. You both deserve it. Kevin lands on his feet and a year later he’s wearing a ring with another team – and you’re genuinely happy for him. Really. I am.

But what does Minnesota do now? You draft Kevin Love and you try to keep moving on.

Answering the tough questions for Minnesota after the jump…

Read the rest of this article »

There are thousands of fantasy owners out there beating themselves over the head for passing on Reggie Bush this year.

Last season the Saints’ head honcho out of the backfield barely finished in the top 20 amongst fantasy backs in ETB’s scoring format, coming in behind guys like Kenny Watson, Willis McGahee, and Jamal Lewis. He racked up just 133 fantasy points on the season in totaling under 1,000 combined rushing and receiving yards and 6 TDs. That effort didn’t do much for his fantasy stock in ’08, and it showed on draft day.

In Yahoo! leagues this season, Bush was drafted on average with the 60th overall pick with more “sure bets” at RB like Ryan Grant, Laurence Maroney, McGahee, and even rookie Darren McFadden coming off the board before Bush. Heading into Week 7, however, Bush is Yahoo!’s top-rated fantasy RB and is the first to eclipse 100 points in our format. Those four guys mentioned above? Thus far they’ve combined for about 81 points. Ouch.

Bush still has trouble running between the tackles (and maybe always will), but galdarnit if he isn’t a boon for fantasy owners in PPR leagues. He already has 41 catches for 361 yards and 3 TDs, and is second in receptions to only Brandon Marshall (43). It’s not out of the question to think that Bush could finish the regular season as the league-leader in that category. Crazy.

Let’s get to ETB’s revered fantasy ranks for Week 7 now, shall we?

Fantasy Week 7 – Top 20 Quarterbacks

1. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints @ CAR
2. Brett Favre, New York Jets @ OAK
3. Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers @ BUF
4. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers vs. IND
5. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts @ GB
6. Eli Manning, New York Giants vs. SF
7. Jay Cutler, Denver Broncos @ NE
8. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers @ CIN
9. Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys @ STL (Check Status)
10. Matt Schaub, Houston Texans vs. DET
11. Kyle Orton, Chicago Bears vs. MIN
12. Jake Delhomme, Carolina Panthers vs. NO
13. Jason Campbell, Washington Redskins vs. CLE
14. Derek Anderson, Cleveland Browns @ WSH
15. Gus Frerotte, Minnesota Vikings @ CHI
16. Jeff Garcia, Tampa Bay Bucs vs. SEA
17. JT O’Sullivan, San Francisco 49ers @ NYG
18. Trent Edwards, Buffalo Bills vs. SD
19. JaMarcus Russell, Oakland Raiders vs. NYJ
20. Dan Orlovsky, Detroit Lions @ HOU

Rest of the Week 7 fantasy football ranks after the break…

Read the rest of this article »

Greg Oden Photo Credit: Icon SMI

See Also:
Vol. 1, Issue 1: Hoopsters 1-20
Vol. 1, Issue 2: Hoopsters 21-40
Vol. 1, Issue 3: Hoopsters 41-60
Vol. 1, Issue 4: Hoopsters 61-80

81 Al Thornton, LAC, F: This may be a reach in most drafts, but Thornton is one of the elite breakout candidates in the NBA this season. The guy is going to be a beast, and he’ll be given every opportunity to produce on an offensively challenged Clippers team. He started coming alive after the All Star break last season to the tune of 16 points and 6 boards with nearly a three, block and steal per game. Expect something in the neighborhood of 19 points, 7 boards and 3 assists with contributions in steals, blocks and threes.

82 O.J. Mayo, Mem, G: Everybody in Memphis is impressed with the kid, and why not? He just oozes “star.” On a rebuilding team Mayo should be given heavy minutes and be a focal point of the offense. The FG% may not be ideal and there will be some turnovers, but he’ll produce across the board. Just look at Monday’s box score: 26 points, 6 three-pointers, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 5 steals in 30 minutes.

83 Marvin Williams, Atl, G/F: If Marvin Williams is ever going to break out and earn that second-overall pick, this is the season. He’s 22 years old and will be given plenty of tick with Childress out of the picture. The baseline here is 17 points, 7 boards and 1 steal per game with room to be much better.

84 Brad Miller, Sac, C: 2007-08 was a nice comeback year for Miller, formerly an elite fantasy center because of his shooting skills and passing ability. Last season he returned to his 1-block, 1-steal form and grabbed nearly 10 boards a game. Add in nearly 4 assists a game and you have a center with a rare combination of tools.

85 Beno Udrih, Sac, PG: Beno was a bit of a revelation last year filling in for the injured Mike Bibby. As a starter he put up over 14 points a game with 5 assists, 1 steal and 1 three on stellar shooting: 47.5% FGs and 86.1% FTs. There’s no reason Udrih can’t keep that up for a full season.

86 Greg Oden, Por, C: Oden is likely to be drafted a little early in all draft just because he’s a name brand. Don’t bite, because this season his contributions in real basketball will outpace his fantasy relevancy. The defensive numbers will be there, but the scoring will be modest. Something like 11 points, 8 boards and 2 blocks sounds about right.

87 Richard Jefferson, NJ, SF: Jefferson has turned into a solid scorer with average assists and not much of anything else. He can get to the line, but the FT% isn’t stellar. Peanut should be the main man for Milwaukee on offense though.

88 Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Cle, C: Every year it pains me to draft Big Z, but every year he continues to produce a valuable fantasy line. He just looks like he could fall apart on any given night, but the health has been there for about six years now. You know what to expect: Good shooting percentages and decent points and rebounds with some blocks sprinkled in.

89 John Salmons, Sac, G/F: We’re quite high on Salmons this season, he should get plenty of run with Ron Artest out of the picture and he always seems to produce. As a starter last season: 17.5 points, 5.4 boards, 3.5 assists, 1.6 steals and nearly 1 three on 50% FGs and 81% FTs.

90 Ben Gordon, Chi, SG: It’s hard to figure Gordon, who looks like an elite scorer for stretches and then falls into a K hole and becomes worthless for weeks at a time. This season he’s playing for a contract, so you better believe he’ll come out firing. The scoring will be there, but what else does he do?

Hoopsters 91-100 after the jump…

Read the rest of this article »

Andrei Kirilenko and Kobe Bryant Photo Credit: Icon SMI

See Also:
Vol. 1, Issue 1: Hoopsters 1-20
Vol. 1, Issue 2: Hoopsters 21-40
Vol. 1, Issue 3: Hoopsters 41-60
Vol. 1, Issue 5: Hoopsters 81-100

61 Andrei Kirilenko, Utah, F: The potential for fantasy dominance is obvious. Unfortunately, Kirilenko has had trouble playing to his own strengths and staying in Coach Sloan’s good graces over the last two seasons so it’s easy to forget he was a first-round pick not long ago. Andrei still managed to finish among the top 50 in fantasy last season, and you won’t find anybody in the league who can match his five-cat contributions when AK-47 is on his game. I’m willing to gamble here.

62 Andrew Bogut, Mil, C: Bogut came into his own as a center in 2007-08, improving markedly in points, rebounds and blocks. The 1.7 blocks a game were more than triple what he put up in 2006-07, and at 23 years of age there’s still plenty of room for improvement. If you miss out on the big guns, Bogut is a capable top center.

63 T.J. Ford, Ind, PG: You have to gameplan for TJ’s deficiencies, but he’s one of the last players on the board with a legitimate chance at double-digit assists. There’s no reason Ford can’t log heavy minutes and dominate the ball in Indiana, and they have some scorers who can finish. Turnovers are still an issue, but the FG% made a huge leap last season.

64 Peja Stojakovic, NO, SF: Peja is a major gamble given the ongoing health problems, but the guy can fill it up when he’s on. He won’t do much for you in the steals, blocks or assists categories but the three-pointers are elite and the man averaged less than 1 turnover a game last season.

65 Chris Kaman, LAC, C: With Elton Brand out of town there’s no reason to think Kaman won’t get plenty of chances on offense. After a blazing start to last season he really fell off after the All Star break last season though, and it remains to be seen how he will play with Camby – they’ll be competing for blocks and boards every night.

66 Tracy McGrady, Hou, G/F: I felt compelled to rank T-Mac in the top 70, but there’s absolutely no way I’m touching him this season. He’s already got a laundry list of ailments. It’s jut not worth it, let his ongoing injury melodrama be somebody else’s problem to deal with all season.

67 Tyson Chandler, NO, C: The 1.5 blocks were OK, but I’d like to see a few more from such an offensively challenged player. That said, he has a good shot at being among the league leaders in rebounds and FG% once again. The Paul-to-Chandley oop is one of the prettiest plays in basketball.

68 Samuel Dalembert, Phi, C: Count me among Bert’s supporters. A late comer to the basketball scene, his fundamentals and footwork get better every year. With Brand drawing doubles Dalembert should be open often, but he may lose some rebounds to Brand as well.

69 Jason Terry, Dal, G: I don’t see how Jason Terry comes off the bench all season, he’s just too good. Even if he does, the all-around efficiency is a thing of beauty to fantasy owners. We’d like to see the points, assists and minutes return to 2006-07 form, but only 1.1 turnover a game and 85.7% FTs helped balance that out.

70 Charlie Villanueva, Mil, F: This is an aggressive ranking for a 26-year-old who didn’t finish in the top 150 last season, but we expect a breakout year from Charlie V this season. He’s going to be given plenty of minutes, and the man produces fantasy lines when given the opportunity. Decent points and boards with a few blocks, a few threes, a few steals and low turnovers – call him Sheed Light.

Hoopsters 71-80 after the jump…

Read the rest of this article »