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SWING CADDIE SC200 REVIEW – Beginner’s Guide to Golf

Swing Caddie SC200

By now most golfers are familiar with Launch Monitors.  The majority of golf equipment stores have a high end simulator bay for customers to test clubs, or take swing lessons.  The Launch Monitors those simulator bays use cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $20,000.00

For most of us a simulator bay in the basement or den is far from realistic.  What if there was a product that could provide you with the same capabilities for a fraction of the cost, and is as portable as a cellular phone?  Every golfer would just have to have one right!  Well unfortunately there isn’t a product on the market that can do everything a high end launch monitor can.  The Swing Caddie SC200 is about as close as you can get, but is close good enough?

SC200 Capabilities

The Swing Caddie SC200 uses Doppler Radar to read your swing speed, ball speed, and approximate trajectory.  With these measurements it can provide you with your smash factor, and carry distance.  It also keeps track of the amount of time you were using it and the number of balls you’ve hit.  At first I wasn’t interested in how long I had used it or how many balls I had hit, but after a week of use those numbers began to take on an increased importance.  Is Smash factor important to me?  It never used to be.  Well that isn’t entirely true.  I’ve looked at what my smash factor was before when testing Drivers at Golf Town.  After my first week of using the Swing Caddie SC200 I now pay close attention to my smash factor when working on improving my club face contact point.  At first glance you might think that your Swing Speed, and Carry Distance are the only important measurements.  That’s what I thought, and it only took a week for me to realize that I was wrong.

A few additional things you should know about the Swing Caddie SC200 that add to it’s appeal are the Voice capability, Remote Control, and battery life.  The Swing Caddie SC200 has a very good screen that I found easy to read in most lighting conditions.  There are times that reading the screen could be difficult.  Thankfully the Swing Caddie SC200 has an audible announcement after each swing that informs you of the distance hit.  You will still have to look at the screen if you are interested in knowing your Swing Speed or Smash Factor.  I found the distance announcement quite useful.  It takes a moment before it informs you so you have just long enough to make your own guess before the SC200 provides you with the answer.  This feature has helped me identify what perfect contact actually feels like and sounds like.  In some cases I’ve learned that louder isn’t necessarily better.  The included Remote is such a welcome addition.  It’s about as simple as can be.  There’s a button for each club, and it’s a breeze to switch between modes.  I like to switch from club to club when practicing at the Range.  Quite often I’ll play a mock Par 4.  I imagine a 350 yard Par 4 then tee off.  I then estimate the distance left, and choose the appropriate club.  The Swing Caddie SC200 removes the guess work, and is a snap to switch between clubs with the included remote.  The SC200 is powered by four AAA batteries.  For me that’s far better than an included rechargeable battery.  I have devices that require constant charging.  I’m thankful to not have another one.  According to the manual you should expect around 20 hours of use.  If your average Range session is around an hour that’s 20 times out!  More than enough in my opinion.

First Impressions

By the time you read this the Swing Caddie SC200 has been out for over a year.  Chances are you’ve already read other reviews, or seen unboxing videos of the product.  What you probably haven’t come across till now is a Golf Beginner’s opinion of the Swing Caddie SC200.  Unlike the majority of reviewers out there I’m not a professional golfer.  I’m not affiliated with a recognized Golf publication, or Association.  The Swing Caddie wasn’t supplied to me by the company for review purposes. I actually had to buy it!  So I guess the real question is; for a beginner golfer like me, is the Swing Caddie SC200 actually worth it?

For me that’s a resounding YES!  I’ve read some mixed reviews about the Swing Caddie SC200, from essential practice tool to novelty Range tech.  The reviews were so mixed that it took quite the sale price for me to even consider the purchase.  Having spent a considerable amount of time with the product the wide spectrum of conclusions I’ve come across make total sense.  The Swing Caddie SC200’s usefulness is directly related to the user’s golfing ability.  For a high handicapper like me, the Swing Caddie SC200 has already improved my game after one week of use.  Now if I was somebody with a single digit handicap the Swing Caddie SC200 would only confirm what I already know.  In fact it might even read some of my more intricate shots incorrectly because it’s configured for swings made with the club face in a neutral position.  This is definitely not a product for a wedge wizard like Phil Mickelson.  In fact the most lofted Wedge a Swing Caddie SC200 can read is a 59 degree.  My Lob Wedge is 60 degrees so when I use it with the SC200 I have to accept a little bit of distance discrepancy, and the occasional missed swing.  I mentioned earlier that the shot count feature became more important to me.  What I realized is that it takes about 15 swings for me to loosen up.  I also found out that I start to be affected by fatigue at around 85 swings.  The difference between my optimum swings made while warmed up or fatigued is 10 to 15 yards depending on the club.  This means that depending on how my Round of Golf is going I should be using a stronger club than I would expect towards the end of a Round.  I’ve also learned that I should use a stronger club for the first 3 or 4 holes in a Round if I’m unable to warm up first.  I also know that I only need 15 to 20 balls to hit before stepping up to the first tee.  I’m sure veteran golfers have figured these things out over time.  Well I’m in my third Season and I hadn’t figured it out until I practiced with the Swing Caddie SC200.  Do you know your approximate distance with each club?  You probably think you do.  I know that I did.  Well I was wrong about half the clubs in my bag.  Not way wrong mind you, but wrong enough that my low Green in Regulation percentage makes total sense now.  I’m certain that by the time the first set of batteries are dead in my Swing Caddie SC200;  I’ll have such a good understanding of my game that hoping to break 100 will become a thing of the past.  I should expect to break 100 every time out.  Now will continued use help me to consistently break 90?  Only time will tell.  When that time comes I’ll definitely let you know.

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Play the Percentages or Trust your Gut – Sports Fanatics Play Fantasy SF-47

Draft Capital

Every Fantasy Sports website, or Fantasy Football analyst prepares for each Season by making a list.  Some like myself make many lists, but they all have the same purpose.  The goal is to arrange each and every fantasy relevant Player from the most valuable to the least.  Then we presume to decipher where the optimum position to draft them is.  Now maybe you choose to rely on our analysis or you don’t.  Most likely you take what the most popular websites decide, and then make slight adjustments due to personal bias.  However you choose to make your draft board.  Each Player you end up selecting has a perceived value attached to the Round you selected them in.  So what happens when you are setting your line up for the week, and the Running Back you selected in the first Round is facing the Top Run Defense in the league?

That Gut Feeling

How often should we trust our Gut when it comes to Fantasy Football?  To arrive at a suitable answer I’ll use both a top level Running Back from last season, and a top level Wide Receiver.

Todd Gurley – Last Season Todd Gurley finished as the Top Player in Fantasy football.  In the PPR league I run he finished the Season with a little over 400 fantasy points.  He averaged a little over 25 fantasy points per game.  Of course that’s what he averaged.  There was that game against the Seattle Seahawks Legion of Boom defense where he only gained 50 yards, lost a fumble, and didn’t score a touchdown.  He finished that game with 6 points.

So obviously you need to pay close attention to what your Gut tells you right?  I’ll get back to that question in a moment.  First lets take a look at the Wide Receiver from last year.

Julio Jones – For the past few Seasons Julio Jones has continually been drafted as a top 3 Wide Receiver.  Last season was a bit of a down year for him but he still averaged a little over 16 points per game.  Of course there was that game against the Minnesota Vikings where he had top cornerback Xavier Rhodes shut him down to the tune of 2 catches for 24 yards and no touchdowns.  4.4 measly Fantasy points for the game.  So once again your Gut might have been right. So obviously you should listen to your gut right!

Actually you shouldn’t

What I left out of my analysis of both Players is when they went on to have huge Fantasy games against top defenses.  Sure on occasion your best Players that cost you early Round picks will have bad games.  The reason you picked them so early is because more often than not they have good games.  Even when they are faced off against top defenses.  It helps to understand floor and ceiling probabilities as well.  A top tier Wide Receiver is always going to get targeted with a few passes, and have a reasonable opportunity to receive a touchdown.  The third Wide Receiver on the depth chart can play an entire game and not even get one ball thrown their way.  I don’t care who is covering each receiver.  The opportunity is still greater with the top tier pick.

There are exceptions

I actually had Julio Jones on my Fantasy team for a portion of last season.  If you are wondering if there were any games that I chose to sit him.  Well the answer would be yes.  Sounds like I’m going against my own advice right.  Well before you label me as a hypocrite.  You need to know a little bit about my roster.  I was fortunate enough to have 3 excellent Wide Receivers on my roster.  In order of their value from first to last they were Antonio Brown, Julio Jones, and Jarvis Landry.  I started Antonio Brown for every game.  My league requires two Wide Receivers to start so sometimes I would sit Julio Jones to start Jarvis Landry I drafted 2 Rounds after him.  The starting lineup also has a flex position so sometimes I started all three.  The point I’m trying to make is if you have another option that’s almost as good as your primary choice in a far more favourable match up?  Then choosing to follow your Gut makes total sense.  Your second option will have a far safer floor, with only a slightly lower ceiling.

Good Luck in Week 1

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The Truth about Fantasy Football Drafts – Sports Fanatics Play Fantasy SF-46

The 50/50 Rule

If you have been playing Fantasy Football for a few years you’ve probably heard of the 50/50 rule.  Basically half the Players you draft won’t be on your roster by season’s end.  This isn’t necessarily a fact but you can bet that your final roster will look different if you plan on remaining competitive.  As an example I won my Fantasy Football league last year with three key Players on my Roster I didn’t draft.  I picked up Alvin Kamara, Jerick McKinnon, and Alex Collins during the Season.  On most teams in a 12 team league that Running Back trio would have been amazing.  Did I mention that I had drafted Leonard Fournette in the first Round last year as well!  Now you should also know that this is in a PPR Keeper League and my Keepers were Antonio Brown and Julio Jones.  How could I lose?  Well I did trade Julio Jones away midseason.  It would be impossible to draft a team that strong.  I just made the right trades and waiver wire picks when the opportunity arose.

This year’s draft has already been completed. You can see the condensed online draft with all of my selections on the Cobe Life YouTube channel.

Already my roster has gone through some significant changes.  I felt pretty good about landing Jerick McKinnon with my only pick in the first two Rounds.  That was until he went down with a torn ACL during San Francisco’s last practice of the preseason!  I took a flyer on Martavis Bryant because Oakland gave up a third Round pick to acquire him.  Well I guess Oakland is in the habit of giving away third Round picks because they cut him on final cut day.  In case you haven’t already figured it out, so did I.  I also drafted Dez Bryant, planning on stashing him on my Bench for up to 4 weeks with the hopes a decent team would sign him.  Unfortunately with the injury to McKinnon and my best Running Back on the bench being Mark Ingram (In case you weren’t aware Ingram begins the season on a four game suspension) I was forced to abandon my plan and drop Dez so I could pick up McKinnon’s potential back up Matt Brieda.  With my initial draft strategy in shambles I also decided to hedge my bets at Quarterback by replacing Martavis Bryant with Alex Smith.

So before the season has even begun I’ve already changed 3 of my players from a total of 15 on the roster.  What are the odds that I end up switching four more players over the course of the season?  Pretty damn good.

Safe floor vs High ceiling

There are many Fantasy Football pundits that will talk about the importance of choosing Players with a High ceiling.  Now there are a number of Players with exceptionally high ceilings that are guaranteed to score you a fair amount of points every week.  The more of those Players on your team the merrier.  But what about the Players with High ceilings and seriously low floors?    It’s great when your Flex Player gets you 15 points, but it isn’t much of a picnic when they get you 1.3 points.  This is where Safe Floor Players come in.  In order to understand what your mix of Players should be in your league you need to understand how many points are required to win on average each week.  In my PPR Keeper League it usually takes about 125 points to have a decent chance to win each week.  Your starting roster requirements are 1 Quarterback, 2 Running Backs, 2 Wide Receivers, 1 Tight End, 1 Flex (RB, WR, TE) 1 Kicker, and 1 Defence.  Breaking it down by position the average amount of points you are looking for are QB-20pts, RB-15pts, WR-15pts, TE-10pts, K-7pts, DEF-8pts.  So a totally average week would net you 120pts. So somebody on your roster needs to exceed their weekly average to help guarantee your victory.  Of course some of your players could under perform as well.  So what is the best way to prepare for the inevitable?  The answer is having two thirds of your starting roster as Safe Floor Players.  I would rather a Running Back or Wide Receiver that gets me 10 to 12 guaranteed points every week as my number 2 or Flex than a Player that gets me over 20 points once every four weeks, and less than 10 points the others.  Just cause they have a high ceiling doesn’t mean they are Fantasy gold.  The rest of your roster should be filled with High Ceiling hopefully Safe Floor Players.  A great example of a Safe Floor Player is the Number two Slot Receiver on any team with a decent offense in a PPR league.  They might not catch many touchdowns but they generally catch around 5 passes minimum every week for over 50 yards.  A good High ceiling Player to target is the deep threat Wide Receiver or Bell cow back on a High scoring team.

Don’t Stream just Target

People preach streaming Defenses, Kickers, and even Quarterbacks.  I won’t knock their choice because I’ve done it myself.  It can work provided you find yourself in the right situation to do it.  First of all you won’t have success streaming a particular position if two or more other Managers are streaming that position as well.  You don’t want to find yourself fighting to claim Ryan Tannehill off of waivers because he happens to be playing the New York Jets.  Secondly you need to temper your expectations.  Just because somebody is playing in a favourable match up doesn’t necessarily mean they will finish with a favourable result.  Especially if they aren’t a Top tier talent.  Thirdly it’s sometimes a lot more work thsn it’s worth.  While you are trying to decide which Defense to stream that week your opponent noticed that Carlos Hyde pulled a Hamstring during practice and quickly snatched Nick Chubb as a free agent.  There’s enough to think about during a Fantasy Football season.  Why give yourself more?

Some positions don’t matter

This is one of the most idiotic beliefs in Fantasy Football.  Don’t worry about which Kicker you draft because you can always pick one up in Free Agency.  That’s total horse shit!  Wait until you lose because your kicker on that high scoring offense finds himself in a heavy snowfall in November and finishes with 1 point, while your opponent was laughing his way into the winners column with New Orleans Kicker playing at home inside the Superdome.   Just wait on a Defense because they are too unpredictable from year to year.  Another totally daft statement.  You want to talk unpredictable?  Lets talk about starting Running Backs!  I won my league last year because a number of Top Running Backs got injured.  The Dalvin Cook injury made Jerick McKinnon a marquee starter. Mark Ingram wasn’t at 100% so Alvin Kamara progressed faster than anticipated.  The Top Team in my league on paper lost their considerable advantage when David Johnson injured his wrist in the first game of the season.  You would think that might be enough to scrap the entire season for that team.  Well she still made the Playoffs and won her division.  You know how she did it?  She did it by dominating on Defense.  That’s right!  Not only did she spend a mid Round pick on the Jacksonville Jaguars.  She also picked up the Minnesota Vikings when another Manager dropped them because he was streaming Defenses.  For the rest of tbe season she switched back and forth between the two Defenses depending on which one had the better match up and averaged WR2 numbers!  When did you draft your WR2?  I doubt if it was in the 10th Round!  While everyone else in the league was getting 6 to 10 points per week from their Defense, she was getting 11 to 15.  She drafted Carlos Hyde as her third Running Back because he was undoubtedly the number 1 in San Francisco (safe floor) and he was a serviceable replacement for David Johnson.  So what did that all add up to?  Fantasy Football victories!

Don’t listen to the “Experts”, just use common sense and you’ll do fine.

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GOLF

GIGAGOLF TRX Powerslot Irons – The Ongoing Cobe Life Review continues

Still Going Strong

My first two instalments of the Cobe Life Ongoing Review of the GigaGolf TRX Powerslot Irons focused on what made me choose them in the first place.  The big three reasons were Price, customizability, and Player category.  In this Ongoing review I’m going to focus on the performance, and durability.  There is very little information available on the internet regarding secondary market clubs that isn’t directly coming from the manufacturers.  Sure you can read short customer reviews that follow each product, but for the most part they only provide you with first impressions, and very little detail.  I’m going to not only give you some in depth performance data, but also provide you with how these particular Irons have affected my golf game.

It’s never what it seems at first

I had previously reported that I had experienced a little bit of a distance gain with the Irons.  Well having played over 20 Rounds with them I’ve noticed my average distance with each club slowly regress back to where it had been previously.  This is really nothing new.  The majority of golfers have a tendency to head straight to the Range or a Simulator when they get new equipment to test it out.  You are so excited that your adrenaline is way up, and your goal is to find out how much better these new clubs are than your old set.  As a result you tend to swing a little harder than normal.  Miss hits are dismissed as part of the adjustment period.  When really they occur because you are swinging a little wildly.  I don’t know how many customer reviews I’ve read that contain claims of seeing 10 to 15 yard increases their first time out to the Range.  It would be interesting to see how their claims have changed since.  So the new Irons haven’t really gained me much additional distance. Currently my average distance is only 3 yards longer than my previous set.  It’s my belief the reason for the increase is directly attributed to my quality of strike.  As I had mentioned in my previous review, GigaGolf Irons are fully customizable when you order them including length and lie angle.  It’s these adjustments that have made the most difference with my strike accuracy.  If you follow me on my various Social Media accounts then you’ll know that I switched from Super Game Improvement Irons to the Regular Game Improvement GigaGolf TRX Powerslot Irons.  There have been positives and negatives to making the switch.  I’ll begin with the negative.  In poor weather conditions like just after a heavy rain when the course gets extremely soft, or after many days of intense heat and the fairways are rock hard; Super Game Improvement Irons have that thick base that generally skips across the surface and helps you make decent contact. The thinner Game Improvement GigaGolf TRX Powerslot Irons really force you to pick the ball cleanly in those situations.  Now fortunately when you do catch it thin the additional spring in the face does help to advance your ball further than you would expect.  Now the positive; the GigaGolf TRX Powerslot Irons generate significantly more spin than the Super Game Improvement Irons I was playing with previously.  For the first time I’m able to attack Greens, and not worry about running out the back.  When I make perfect contact I am able to not only hold the Green but even spin the ball back a foot with my 9 Iron!  To be honest I didn’t think I was capable of that.  I average about 2 yards of roll out with my 7 Iron now.  With my previous Super Game Improvement Irons it was closer to 7 yards.  Pin placements that required me to clear a bunker or pond were absolutely impossible for me to stick close.  Now I go after those Pins with confidence.

So what are the results?

The results have been better than anticipated.  The greatest improvement has been in my Greens In Regulation percentage.  Now that I am able to effectively attack Pins my Percentage has gone from a pitiful 12% to as high as 25% this Season.  It currently sits at 22%.  That’s almost double what it used to be.  Something I should mention that isn’t reflected in the stats is the number of times I end up putting from the fringe as well.  Although it isn’t technically a Green in Regulation, landing on the fringe is still an advantageous position.  Which takes me to the next result and that’s the increase in Pars I’ve been able to attain on the course.  My handicap has gone down 5 strokes since the beginning of the Season.  Now I’m a high handicapper so lowering my handicap really only requires minor improvements in my game.  Still every time it goes down a stroke I’m excited.  Of course every Par for a high handicapper like myself practically feels like a birdie so the more the merrier!  As far as performance is concerned I couldn’t be happier.  Anyone looking to replace their Irons would be wise to consider the GigaGolf TRX Powerslot Irons.  Not because they are great for the price.  Consider them because they simply are great, and you can customize them to fit you perfectly.

Now about the durability

I’ve got to be honest here, I was worried.  If you read the previous review a significant scuff mark had appeared on my Pitching Wedge after only a few Range Sessions.  Quite a lot of golfers are concerned that the materials used by these secondary market manufacturers are substandard.  I had that fear as well.  Especially after the early marks that had appeared on a couple of the Irons.  Well in the case of the GigaGolf TRX Powerslot Irons you can breathe easy.  I’ve played over 20 Rounds of golf and been out to the Range another 20 plus times, and they are about as worn as you would expect any clubs to be.  I went with GigaGolf’s own basic grips because the grips I usually prefer weren’t available through GigaGolf and expected to have to switch them out quickly.  Well I haven’t switched them yet and they feel fine.  I haven’t any rolling or deflection of the face grooves on the Irons, and as I mentioned before they generate excellent spin with full shots.  In fact they bite into the ball so well that soft cover balls like the Q-star or Vice Tour begin to look shredded after only 6 holes.  I thought that given the price I would be satisfied if I was able to play with these clubs for just a few Seasons then that would be fine.  At this point I wouldn’t be surprised if with proper care these Irons perform just as well 5 years from now.

 

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Questions that need answering – Sports Fanatics Play Fantasy SF-45

Changes are afoot

There were a number of surprises in Fantasy Football last year.  Rookie Running Backs were flying off the waiver wire every week.  The Quarterbacks that went late in the draft became some of tthe Top performers.  Injuries to key Players happened early and often.  Fantasy Football was simply fantastic last Season.  So what should we expect this Season?

Plenty of Comeback Candidates

There are a few Players that missed a lot of time or even the whole Season last year that are primed to have huge Seasons this year.

Deshaun Watson – If you follow Cobe Life on YouTube, you will already know that Deshaun Watson is the highest QB on my draft board.  That’s right, I’m predicting him to be the Top QB in Fantasy Football.  He was already on his way to achieving that last year before he went down to injury.  I expect him to come back fully healthy and well rested.  Draft him with confidence.

David Johnson – David Johnson missed all but one game last Season with a wrist injury.  Before that he was considered to be the number 2 Running Back in the league by my rankings.  Wrist injuries generally heal well, and have very little effect on future performance.  David Johnson is the Arizona Cardinals offense.  I don’t expect a drop in touches.  Actually after being off the field for practically a full Season, he should be raring to go.  He’s my number 3 Running Back on my draft board.

Dalvin Cook – The Minnesota Vikings are a powerhouse team in a powerhouse division that’s in the powerhouse conference.  Dalvin Cook has already proved that he fits their powerhouse offense quite nicely.  Coming back from injury to a team that actually upgraded at Quarterback in the off-season.  Dalvin Cook is sure to find a lot of running room this year.  Snag him in your draft when the opportunity arises.

Julian Edelman – If you take a really good look at the New England Patriots roster you’ll notice something somewhat strange.  You won’t find many star players on it.    That’s what makes the return of Julian Edelman so huge.  On the offensive side of the ball there are three obvious stars.  Two of which (Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski) will be extremely difficult to draft unless you don’t mind reaching.  That leaves the returning Edelman as the only star on the Patriots that could fall below his true draft value.  I’m not even close to being a fan of the Patriots, but if Edelman falls in my draft.  I’m taking him.

Rookie Breakouts

Saquon Barkley – Saquon Barkley is for real.  I don’t take what I see in the preseason too seriously.  What I have seen from him will definitely carry over into the regular Season.  He’s elusive, has a great burst of speed through the hole, runs hard, runs fast, and has sure hands.  Barring a complete New York Giants breakdown, Saquon Barkley should finish as a Top 5 Running Back.  In most drafts he’s the 8th Running Back off the board.  Go ahead and reach.

Royce Freeman – Nobody really knows what to expect from Denver.  With Case Keenum ar Quarterback and the stacked Defense they already have, they could look a lot like last year’s Minnesota Vikings.  If that’s the case Royce Freeman could be in line for a lot of fantastic opportunities.  He has the potential to be one of those Rookie Running Backs that helps you reach the Fantasy playoffs.  There is some risk here, but if the Broncos can get a few leads in games Freeman will have an amazing season.

Calvin Ridley – First off I should mention that I generally don’t draft rookie Wide Receivers. It takes a while to learn a new offense, than get in sync with the team’s quarterback.  The calibre of cornerback they face from week to week is significantly higher.  It just takes awhile for Wide Receivers to adjust.  There is the odd exception though.  In this case it’s in the form of a pedestrian number 2 Wide Receiver, and a number 1 Wide Receiver that demands double coverage.  Calvin Ridley could serve as a decent bye week replacement or flex starter during the season.  If either Sanu or Jones gets hurt then he becomes highly valued.  I might draft him as insurance or trade bait when the time is right.

Wild Cards

There are a few key changes at the most important position that could flip this fantasy Season on it’s head.

Patrick Mahomes II – What will the Kansas City Chiefs offense look like in 2018?  I’ll tell you what it won’t be, boring.  Watching Mahomes play is like watching high school football.  He seems to hold on to the ball too long for the NFL but somehow gets away with it.  I’ve watched him ignore the easy dump off to his Running Back to attempt a deep throw downfield and let his Wide Receiver attempt to make a play.  Alex Smith he is not!  Now is that a good thing for the Fantasy Players you drafted on the Kansas City Chiefs?  I really don’t know.  I’ll tell you one thing.  I don’t expect Kansas City to win as many games as they did last year.  I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t make the playoffs.

Kirk Cousins – I expect Cousins to eclipse 4000 yards passing and throw for at least 30 touchdowns.  In other words he will be a Top 5 Quarterback this year.  His receiving corps is significantly better than who he had in Washington.  He got a huge contract and will be expected to earn it.  Look at the season Case Keenum had behind that offensive line.  Just imagine what Cousins will do.  As a result of his signing I’ll draft Vikings offensive players every chance I get.

The Countdown is on.

The first week of the season is drawing near.  I hope you’ve done your research because it’s sure to be another wild and crazy Fantasy Football year.

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3 keys to lowering your score – Beginner’s Guide to Golf

Keep it Simple

I’ve come across many Guides for Beginner Golfers.  The majority will include ways to begin lowering your score.  They will go into detail about how to develop a one way miss, play to your skills, and spend a lot of time working on your putting.  I agree with all of these but they don’t address the real requirements necessary to lowering your score.  There are three keys to lowering your score that will work for every Beginner Golfer.

Hazard Avoidance

This seems quite obvious right!  Well think about how many times  on the course that you have found yourself in hazards.  How many times have you failed to clear a pond, found yourself in a sand trap, or had to hit a difficult pitch out of the woods?  Some of you are going to blame these situations on poor strikes.  That’s a poor excuse.  I recently played a course with a friend of mine.  On the way there he mentioned how difficult the sand traps were at this course.  I told him that ssnd traps wouldn’t be a problem for me.  He had a puzzled look on his face, and asked why?  I told him that I rarely land in sand traps.  Most Rounds I don’t land in a single one.  He asked how is that possible?  My answer was straight and to the point, I avoid them.  My game out of the sand is weak.  I know that if I land in a bunker it’s going to cost me a stroke.  It could take me two strokes to get out of the bunker, or even if I get out with my first swing, it’s going to take another stroke to get back into position.  The smart play for me is to hit away from the bunker, or short of it.  In order to do this effectively you need to know your average distance with each club, and even more importantly the maximum distance with each club.  This is a statistic that you should be aware of that none of the “experts” talk about.  As an “expert” they never need to worry about hitting their clubs exceptionally long.  For example my average distance with my 7 Iron is 138 yards.  I have on occasion caught it a little thin and hit it close to 150 yards.  Both of these numbers come into play during a Round.  If I’m attacking a Green that’s 134 yards away with a Bunker on the left.  I will choose 7 Iron and aim for the right side of the Green.  In case you were wondering where the Pin is placed. Well it doesn’t matter.  I would prefer to attempt a long putt than having to potentially hit out of a bunker.  Now lets add one additional feature to that same situation.  Along with the left side bunker there’s also thick woods and fescue at the back.  The distance to the back of the green is 146 yards.  Now the maximum distance also comes into play.  If I catch my 7 Iron too thin I could skip out the back and into the woods where losing the ball is definitely a possibility.  In this case I would club down to my 8 Iron.  On average I hit my 8 Iron around 125 yards.  I have hit it as long as 135 yards at times though.  This would give me a slim chance to get my shot as far as the pin, and a decent chance to find the front fringe.  It totally takes both hazards out of play though.  Once again I would prefer a long putt, or short chip than end up in a hazard.  I probably save 5 strokes a Round by playing this way.

Just because it’s a Par 4 doesn’t mean you have to play it like one!

Something I realized after a full Season of playing courses, is that some Par 4s are specifically designed to challenge low handicappers.  As a Beginner these holes can totally obliterate what could have been a great Round of Golf.  The reason for this is how we are mentally conditioned to play a long Par 4.  Hit it as long as possible off the Tee, and then use whichever club is necessary to reach the Green.  Recently I played a 448 yard Par 4 dogleg right.  I chose Driver off the Tee.  Recently I’ve been hitting my Driver with great consistency.  You should choose whichever club you can hit long and find the Fairway consistently, after taking Hazard Avoidance into consideration first.  I was left with 210 yards to the Pin.  Now I could potentially get there with my 3 Wood.  In my first couple of Seasons playing golf, that’s exactly what I would have tried.  Now what I chose to do instead was treat this long Par 4 like a Par 5.  I chose 5 Hybrid which totally took any of the Hazards around the Green out of play.  It left me only 50 yards to the Pin which is a very easy distance for me.  Choosing to play long Par 4s this way makes Birdie almost impossible, Par difficult, and Bogey very easy.  This may sound counterproductive to lowering your scores but in actuality it isn’t.  My Par 5 average score has gone from almost 8 to 6 strokes.  If the course I’m playing has 4 Par 5s that’s 8 strokes saved on average!  The reason for the dramatic change in scoring is because the longer you hit a club, the greater the possibility for error if you hit it poorly.  A sliced 3 Wood could put me in brutal trouble.  A sliced 5 Hybrid isn’t anywhere close to as bad.  Even if I hit the 3 Wood well in the aforementioned situation.  I could end up in a greenside bunker, or roll through the back into fescue.  A well struck 5 Hybrid can only end up in the Fairway.  So I can’t get a birdie. Well so what!  As a Beginner Golfer I only aversge 1 birdie per Round anyways.

Play to the Front of Par 3s

I’m guessing that nobody has ever suggested this before.  Whenever you are in doubt of how to play a Par 3, just aim for the front of the Green.  The only time that I would suggest against this is if you have to clear a hazard.  In that case I would suggest aiming for the back.  Aiming for the front is all about being logical.  Many Beginners know their average total distance, but aren’t aware of their carry distances.  Balls that land on the Green will usually roll out further than usual because of the firmness of the surface.  But what about Spin, you ask?  You are a Beginner (news flash) you don’t really have any.  As a result your total average distance is actually increased.  Another reason to aim for the front is that you aren’t punished for hitting it thin. You might actually end up on the Green, or roll through the back.  At least you won’t be so far out the back that getting back onto the Green will be easy.  Last but not least, you generally take hazards on the left, right, or back mostly out of play.

If you take these three tips into consideration the next time you play.  I promise you that your final score will be lower than if you didn’t.  Good luck, and keep working to improve your game.  I’ll see you on the course.

 

Categories
GAMING Uncategorized

Magic the Gathering isn’t what it used to be – The Gamer in me GL-29

How the game has changed

Shortly after Magic the Gathering took the gaming world by storm in the mid 90s.  People who played the game were divided into two groups, casual or competitive.  That was it.  Now granted some people preferred multiplayer over 1 vs 1 but within each format you still had casual or competitive players.  Things are different today.  As the game has grown and aged, more formats have been developed, and the information age has almost eliminated individual deck design.  It isn’t just about whether you are a casual or competitive player anymore.  At the beginning of the new millennium whenever I went to a new card store to play a game. The only question I’d ask my opponent was whether they played casually or competitively?  I always kept a few different decks on me to suit either type of player.  Walk into any gaming store now and listen to the questions being asked.  “Do you want to play Magic?” “Which format – Standard – Modern?”  “I have a Commander deck together if you are ok with playing Commander?”  Then depending on their opponents answers there can be even more questions.  Quite often I’ve seen two people unable to play against each other because they don’t have decks that share a format.

A return to form

It’s happened slowly over time, but there is one format that could  become the way most everyone plays Magic once again.  What was once considered to be a casual escape from playing competitive games of Standard, Modern, or Vintage, is now a fully recognized format that soon anyone can play.  That format is Commander.  The 100 card deck with no more than 1 of any card except basic land is already the format of choice at most gaming stores.  The reason for this is very easy to understand.  Building a Commander deck is relatively inexpensive because you don’t require 4 of every key card like you do in the other formats.  Competitive and Casual players can play against each other because the number of variables in a 100 card deck with only 1 of each card create a situation where luck can play a huge factor.  The element of surprise (something Magic the Gathering hasn’t had for years) is always there because you never know what your opponent might play next.  It doesn’t matter if you have only been playing for a few years or twenty, you can build a fun deck that could win from any of the cards you’ve collected.  Unlike the other formats, you have a reason to peruse some of the older set binders at your local store for interesting cards to include in your deck.  In other words, Commander is actually fun!

It’s here to stay

Over the years there have been many different formats that have come and gone.  I can promise you that Commander is here to stay.  Every previous iteration of interesting format lacked that one key ingredient – fun.  Now what if you are brand new to the game?  Fortunately for you Wizards of the Coast does a far better job of set design, and cohesiveness these days.  In fact they have already recognized the switch to Commander becoming the popular format so a variation of that format for new players has been developed.  If you are unfamiliar with the new Brawl format, it’s similar to Commander except it only uses a 60 card deck comprising of cards from the Standard legal card pool, and you are allowed to select a Planeswalker as your Commander.  This format allows brand new Players the opportunity to play a version of Commander that’s similar enough to get a feel for the game.  It also allows them to eventually expand their Brawl deck into a Commander deck once they’ve collected enough cards.

It’s time to revisit an old favourite

If you had been put off by how the game of Magic the Gathering progressed over the years like I had?  It could be time to crack open the old binders, and find some of those old favourites, and throw together a deck that’s finally fun to play once more.  Imagine the look on another players face when Abyss hits the table, or you drop a second turn Serendib Efreet!  Welcome back to the Golden age of collectible card games!

Categories
FANTASY Uncategorized

The New look of Fantasy Football – Sports Fanatics Play Fantasy SF-44

How times have changed

If you have been playing Fantasy Football for the last decade then you have probably noticed a few changes.  Some of these changes can have a dramatic effect on how your Fantasy Football team performs from week to week.   Despite these changes, many Fantasy Football analysts refuse to adjust their strategies.  Well I can admit that I was resistant to change as well, and held steadfast for a couple of Seasons.  It took missing the Playoffs in my Keeper League for the first time in years to make me adjust my strategy.  The end result speaks for itself, I’m league Champion!  So what changes am I referring to?  In this article I’ll cover the three most important changes that you should be aware of.

Concussion Protocol

If you aren’t aware of how the NFL Concussion Protocol can effect the overall performance of your Fantasy Football team?   You need to pay close attention to this portion of the article.  For many years both the NFL and Players have misrepresented how often Players get concussed.  What was once considered a mild concussion that would have a Player miss a snap or two, can now cause them to miss the rest of a game.  I’ve already had this occur to key Players on my Fantasy teams in the first quarter of games.  Imagine what your chances of victory would be if your top Running Back was knocked out in the first quarter.  I remember when Players were considered tough if they got knocked out in the first half, and returned to play in the second half.  Nowadays those same Players would be considered foolhardy.  In reality those Players can no longer exist because the NFL Concussion Protocol has already removed them from the game, and quite likely the next game as well.  Something you should be aware of is that the more concussions a Player has had, the more likely that they will be susceptible to another.  Treat the brain like any other part of the human body that can sustain injury.  Some Fantasy Football Managers refuse to draft anyone that’s had an ACL injury.  I’m not one those but I do take injuries into consideration.  If two equally skilled Players are available to draft, and one of them has a history of injuries or concussions then I’ll draft the other Player.  The reality is that injuries are a part of the game.  Most injuries are manageable.  Players will play through minor injuries, and modern medicine has made recovery from major injuries relatively quick.  Concussion Protocol on the other hand is now governed by it’s own set of rules.  It’s because of this that you should be well aware.

Rookie Impact

Rookies have always had a place in Fantasy Football.  The temptation to draft a Rookie was always there, but more often than not didn’t pan out.  Every year the NFL media hype machine would latch on to a couple Rookies and have you believing that they were the second coming.  Very rarely did any of these Players reach their potential in their first Season.  Well like I said in the beginning, times have changed.   Rookies have become far more NFL ready over the last few years.  Especially positions that require more individual skill then scheme recognition.  Fantasy Football Managers shouldn’t be afraid to draft highly skilled Running Backs, or Quarterbacks.  Don’t make the mistake of underestimating the effect a top level rookie linebacker will immediately have on a Defense.  The coaching and Player development at the College level is at an all time high.  The only position that I remain wary of is Wide Receiver.  There are some complex timing routes in the NFL that can take more than a season to master.

Who’s Number 1?

I remember the days when NFL teams had a definitive number 1 Running Back, Wide Receiver, and Tight End.  Draft position was proportional to a Player’s ranking on their team’s depth chart.  Some Managers still approach their draft preparation with that archaic system in mind.  If that was you last Season then you probably missed out on Players like Adam Thielen, or Davante Adams.  If I asked 10 Fantasy Football Managers who they felt would finish with more fantasy points this Season between Diggs and Thielen, Thomas and Sanders, Ingram and Kamara, or Nelson and Cooper.  I bet no two Managers would give the same answers.  What this means to you is that Players that are second on their team’s depth chart could easily out perform top tier Players on other teams.  It’s also worth noting that having two Wide Receivers or Running Backs from the same team on your roster can make total sense.

 

Get with the times

There are a number of other things that have changed but I haven’t drafted yet so you will have to wait to find out.  If you take the three factors I’ve mentioned in this article into consideration this season you should be fine.  Good luck this Season, unless you are in a league against me of course. 😉

Categories
GOLF

Choosing the Right Golf Ball – Top 6 Comparison test

The Right Ball

   For about a year now I’ve been trying to figure out which ball is right for me. As a High Handicapper cost is always a concern because it’s a rare occasion when I finish a Round of Golf with the Ball I began with. On average I go through a sleeve of balls each Round I play. I try to keep the majority of Rounds I play to under $50. If the balls I’m playing are $5 each that can seriously add to the cost of a Round. The second thing I take into consideration is how easy I find a Ball to be controllable around the Greens. I don’t necessarily need the ball with the most Spin. I just need a Ball to stop where I intend it to. I don’t need the smoothest rolling Ball off the Putter. I just need a Ball that I can feel come off the Putter face, and be able to control the distance it rolls. Lastly I would like a Ball that’s long enough off the Tee, and doesn’t roll out too much on full shots 160 yards and in. Ideally I’d like to find a Ball that meets all of those criteria for less than $30/dozen.

I have tried many different balls over the last three years. The majority of them were simple 2 piece balls because of the price. It wasn’t until Nike decided to get out of the Golf equipment game that I got my first real taste of what was possible with a 3 piece ball. Stores that carried Nike Golf equipment quickly put the RZN series balls on clearance. I was able to buy four dozen Nike RZN Reds at $20/dozen. It didn’t take long before I noticed two discernable differences. My putting improved from an average of 2.4 putts per hole down to 2. That’s an average of 7 less putts per Round! Was a 3 piece ball that much easier to Putt? Actually it isn’t. The Ball felt good off the Putter but that wasn’t the reason I was sinking more Putts. The real reason was that for the first time I was able to generate enough Spin on short approach shots to hold the Greens, and leave myself a lot more Putts from within 10 feet. Now before everyone reading this rushes out to buy five boxes of 3 piece balls. Let me first say that there are some very good 2 piece balls on the market. Three of the final six balls I tested were 2 piece balls in fact. Again price plays a very important role in my selection process and most 3 piece balls just cost too much. In the end there was a clear winner, with two others that I may end up playing because of the difference in price.  Before I give my opinions of the final six balls I tested, you should probably know a little bit about me.  My Driver swing speed is just a little north of 90mph.  I hit my 7 Iron around 140 yards with a full swing.  My current handicap is 30, and the lowest it’s been is 27.  All in all I tested 15 different balls, plus a few others that are no longer available.  I specifically chose these six to demonstrate what works, and what doesn’t work for me.  One of the balls not covered in this test that I would recommend was the Srixon Soft Feel.  It is in my opinion the best Budget ball by far.  I found them for as low as $1.33/ball.

3 Golf Balls that didn’t suit me

Q Star
– putts slow, medium feel
– A lot of Spin off the Wedges
– short Driver distance
– low durability
Going into this comparison test I had high hopes for the Srixon Q-Star. Although it is a 2 piece ball, it also has an additional coating they call Spin skin on the outer shell that’s designed to increase Spin.  Essentially Srixon’s goal was to create a 2 piece ball for a 2 piece price that performs like a 3 piece ball.  Around the Greens the Spin I was able to create with my Wedges was excellent. Even better than two of the 3 piece balls that I tested. Unfortunately the performance across the other categories was poor. Putting was a challenge because it requires more force than I’m used to to get the ball rolling. I just kept coming up short which anyone will tell you is the worst way to miss a putt. Approach shots held the Greens from about 130 yards and in which isn’t bad, but far from optimal for me. What made matters worse was Driving distance on average was the shortest of all the balls tested. Only on the shortest Par 4s would I be within 130 yards after my Tee shot.

Aeroburner Soft
– putts fast, light feel
– very little spin on half swings
– long Driver distance
The Aeroburner Soft isn’t the newest ball on the market but I’ve seen them for sale in many different locations so I figured I would give them a try.  First of all everything I’ve tested from Taylormade with the Aeroburner moniker has been long on distance. The Aeroburner Soft Golf Ball is no exception. Off the Tee it was the absolute longest of all the balls I tested. It actually had decent stopping power on full swing approach shots as well. Unfortunately once you get near, or on the Green the trouble begins. This Ball practically explodes off the Wedge, or Putter face which made it extremely difficult to control for me. Any strokes gained off the Tee were quickly lost when I reached the Green. A full Round with this Ball would probably test my nerves severely.

DT Trusoft
– putts fast, medium feel
– very little spin off half swings
– medium Driver distance
You don’t see too many Golf Ball Comparisons that don’t include the Titleist Pro V1. Well at $5/ball they definitely weren’t making the cut. Instead I gave their DT Trusoft a try. The Trusoft wasn’t terribly bad at anything, but it wasn’t especially good either. I was able to get decent distance with the Driver, generate decent Spin on full shots, hit long runners with the Wedges, and control my Putts relatively well. So why didn’t it make my Top 3?  The answer to that is Price. Although it’s only a 2 piece ball, it’s the same price as one of the 3 piece balls tested, and even more expensive than another. It proved to be significantly more durable than two of the balls I tested but when you rarely finish a full Round with one ball, durability is of little concern.

The 2 alternate Balls I’d play

Project A
– putts mid pace, maximum feel
– A lot of spin on full or half shots
– long Driver distance
Of the six balls I chose to test the Taylormade Project A was the clear winner overall. I’ve never played a ball that immediately made me feel like I was going to score better. I felt like I could sink every putt, smash it off the Tee, and stick it close to the Pin from anywhere. The only categories it didn’t outright win were Driving distance (Aeroburner Soft) and Price (Q Star). So why didn’t it snag the number 1 spot? Once again the mighty dollar holds me back. Of all the balls tested it was the most expensive. In fact the only time it falls within my budget is when it’s on sale. Believe me when I tell you that every time it goes on sale I’m buying a few dozen though.

Vice Tour
– putts fast, medium feel
– spins well off of the Wedges
– medium Driver distance
– low durability
Vice has been quickly establishing themselves as the tour quality Ball manufacturer, at a discount price. According to their Ball fitting online questionnaire, the Vice Tour is the Ball for me. There was a lot to like about the Vice Tour. Unfortunately it was difficult to stop on anything but full Iron shots into Greens, and like the Q-Star wasn’t very durable. The 2 piece DT Trusoft actually performed a touch better, but as long as you buy five dozen Vice Tour balls the price is hard to beat.

I don’t mind the look.

The Best Ball for me

Project S
– putts mid pace, medium feel
– medium Spin on full or half shots
– medium Driver distance

The Project S does everything great, just not as great as the Project A. It’s that simple. Switching from the Project A to the Project S was quite easy. All I had to do was account for a little extra roll out on Chips, and Approach shots, and be a little less aggressive on lag putts.  It was only 3 yards shorter in carry distance with the Driver as well.  In fact some of my closest Chips and Pitches to the Pin came with the Project S because I like a little bit of roll out. The Flop shot isn’t my preferred shot. If it’s yours I’d highly recommend the Taylormade Project A. When it comes right down to it the Project S wins because it’s on average $10/dozen less than the Project A. Simply put it’s the best ball for my budget. If you haven’t tried it yet, I suggest that you do.

Let me know which ball you play, and which of my final 6 balls tested is your favourite and you will have a chance to win a sleeve of balls.

Categories
FANTASY

2018 Fantasy Football Breakouts – Sports Fanatics play Fantasy SF-43

My Potential Breakouts

It’s July and the Fantasy Football Season is finally upon us. The usual off season shenanigans have led to a few suspensions. A few Players have announced that they are retiring. There’s always the talk about whether Tom Brady can keep up his high level of play for another year. Well I’m not interested in any of that. During the off season I’m only interested in figuring out one thing. Who are going to be the breakout players next season? Well I have selected eight players that should have the opportunity to put up some serious Fantasy Football numbers this year. I’ll begin with the Quarterback.

QUARTERBACK

Deshaun Watson
– If it wasn’t for the injury he sustained to his ACL in the first week of November last Season there’s no way he would be on this list. Deshaun Watson looked so good in the 7 games he played that I made a pretty big trade for him after week 5. He was on pace to eclipse 4000 yards and 40 touchdowns. I’ll take those numbers any day. Had he been healthy he could have finished the season with more fantasy points then Tom Brady. That’s all it will take for Deshaun Watson to have a breakout season. He just has to stay healthy. I’ll definitely be targeting him in drafts. There’s a good chance that a lot of Fantasy Football managers will be worried about picking a player coming back off a torn ACL. Well I’m not. Modern medicine has made the career ending ACL injury a thing of the past.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Josh Gordon
– I really struggled with whether I should include Josh Gordon in this list or not. In 2013 he put up amazing numbers. He had 87 receptions for 1646 yards with 9 of those being for touchdowns, and got selected to the Pro Bowl. So can a player who has demonstrated that kind of ability be considered as a potential 2018 breakout? The answer is yes. Josh Gordon finds himself in a rather unique situation after missing almost three Seasons due to suspensions for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy multiple times. He finally returned to the field for the first time since 2014 at the end of last season. Although we didn’t get to see much of him. It was enough for me to recognize that although he’s been away from the game for awhile, his skills haven’t diminished. With an improved situation in Cleveland, and a much better Quarterback throwing him the ball. This could be the official return of Josh Gordon as a truly dominant Wide Receiver to the NFL. I would draft him as a high end number 2 with upside, or a low end number 1 if I went RB – RB to start the draft.

Will Fuller V
– You have already read how I feel about Deshaun Watson. Well I expect Will Fuller to be one of the major beneficiaries of that arm talent. Best of all there’s a very good chance that he will get overlooked by most people and fall in drafts. The main reason that might happen is because he isn’t the number 1 Wide Receiver on the Houston Texans. That honour belongs to what has to be considered one of the top 5 Wide Receivers in the league DeAndre Hopkins. Do I expect him to compete with DeAndre Hopkins for the top spot in Houston? Hell no! What I do expect to see him do is plenty of endzone celebrations. It took a few games for Will Fuller V and Deshaun Watson to get in sync last season but once they did they hooked up for 7 touchdowns in 4 games. SEVEN TOUCHDOWNS IN 4 GAMES! Sorry it just had to be said once more. That’s just ridiculous. Even if you count the first three games where their timing was off, that’s still an average of one touchdown per game. Across a full season that’s 16 touchdowns, or 96 fantasy points in standard leagues and 112 points in PPR before you calculate yardage. Sign me up for some of that. If I don’t draft Will Fuller V somewhere in the middle rounds of my draft I’ll hate myself a little. Trust me when I tell you that you had better be willing to do the same or suffer the consequences.

DeVante Parker
– Parker makes this list because for the first time in his career he should be the man in Miami. He has spent the last couple of seasons being overshadowed by one of my favourite PPR monsters Jarvis Landry. Although DeVante Parker is more of a true number 1 Wide Receiver, Landry was targeted so often in Miami that it didn’t leave much for anyone else to shine. Well Landry is in Cleveland now, and Miami appears to be ready to open up the offense a little more. The Player who should benefit the most is DeVante Parker. He could finish the season as a low end number 1, but you might be able to draft him as your number 2, or even number 3 he’s so under the radar.

Mike Williams
– I was a big Mike Williams fan in the 2017 draft, and when he got selected by the Chargers I figured he would have a good rookie season. Well a series of injuries prevented that from happening. I did see just enough to know that I was correct about his ability. Missing most of his rookie season could actually be a blessing in disguise. Wide Receiver is one of the most difficult positions to transition into the NFL with. They need to learn a whole new playbook. The catch windows are smaller. The Cornerbacks are smarter, faster, and bigger. They need to get in sync with a new quarterback. There are a lot of reasons why I generally don’t draft rookie Wide Receivers. Well Williams has had a full Season to study the playbook, and get a feel for the offense. I’m sure he’s spent a lot of time with Philip Rivers to get a sense of his timing. I just have a feeling that although Keenan Allen is Rivers’ number 1 target. It’s my belief that Williams will get a lot of targets in the endzone. Do yourself a favour and draft him.

JuJu Smith-Schuster
– This probably won’t come as much of a surprise to anyone. With a name like JuJu Smith-Schuster it’s hard to miss his highlight reel catches from last season. I’m not even sure the Pittsburgh Steelers knew what kind of a talent they had in JuJu until about midseason last year. That’s why I believe that although he had a great season last year, JuJu Smith-Schuster could have an even better one this year. His targets per game doubled in the second half of last season. Those kinds of target numbers should continue from Week 1 of this Season. I’m sure the Steelers have made some changes to their playbook to specifically target him more this season as well. It might require a bit of a reach in some drafts to get him but he might be worth it.

RUNNING BACKS

Dalvin Cook
– Dalvin Cook is another rookie who was on his way to having a great Fantasy Football Season when he got sidelined by injury. Like Deshaun Watson in suffered a torn ACL and only got to play in a few games. In those few games we got to see a Running Back that was strong through the line, elusive, and could catch out of the backfield. In the four games he played he went over 100 scrimmage yards twice while splitting time with Jerick McKinnon and Latavius Murray. Now McKinnon is gone, and although I do expect Latavius Murray to get some of the short yardage work. Dalvin Cook is sure to be the lead back in Minnesota. The addition of Kirk Cousins with his ability to throw the deep ball will only help create additional space at the line of scrimmage. I expect Dalvin Cook to have an exceptional season.

Derrick Henry
– I am a huge Derrick Henry fan. I have been since before he entered the league. He is an absolute monster of a Running Back. If you are a fan of Marshawn Lynch, then pay attention to Derrick Henry because he should be the next “beast mode” in the NFL. As a Tennessee Titan he was forced to take a back seat to DeMarco Murray. It’s only for that reason he hasn’t already established himself as a number I Running Back. This Season I expect the Tennessee Titans to finally utilize him as their lead back which will mean more touches, more opportunities, and more touchdowns. By midseason if he isn’t on your roster, you will be trying to figure out a way to trade for him. Don’t put yourself in that position. Just draft him when you have the chance.

Hopefully I’ve provided you with a little extra ammunition against the other Managers in your league.  Good luck this Season.