Fantasy Football Rookie Report Card: WRs

Filed under: NFL New Studs, NFL Value Machine

When examining which players have the best chance of stepping right in and making a fantasy impact, it's hard not to love wide receivers. Sure, running backs have more upside, especially if they get a hold of big chunks of playing time. But as far as every-week fantasy starters go, no position trumps WR.

In 2009, Percy Harvin, Hakeem Nicks and Mike Wallace made immediate fantasy waves as starters. In 2008, Eddie Royal caught 91 balls as a rookie while DeSean Jackson also put together a top-30 fantasy season. This season, many expected Dez Bryant to take his place in the line of successful first-year receivers. Did he?

Dez Bryant, WR, DAL

Bryant, the Cowboys' first round pick in 2010, showed shades of his game-breaking ability early, returning a punt for a touchdown in Week 2. Much like Nicks, he then hit a scoring run, picking up six receiving TDs and another punt return TD in the span of six games. Unfortunately, he fractured his ankle before the fantasy playoffs could start, leaving owners to wonder what could have been. We could give him an incomplete on his season, but he showed plenty while healthy.

Final Grade: A-

 

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Source: http://fantasyfootball.fanhouse.com/2011/01/14/fantasy-football-rookie-report-card-wrs/

Ryan O Byrne Sean O Donnell Evan Oberg Johnny Oduya

Martin Kaymer's game could become even better in 2011

Martin Kaymer may want to send Padriag Harrington a thank you note if he goes on to win the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.

While the rest of the golfing world was talking about Harrington's DQ on Friday, world number three Martin Kaymer was flying under the radar, laying siege to an Abu Dhabi

course that's become his personal playground in recent years.

His bogey-free 7-under 65 on Friday moved him to 12-under on the week, three-shots clear of Charl Schwartzel. The round had a quiet brilliance to it that's become Kaymer's MO in recent years.

While players like Tiger Woods and Lee Westwood continue to make headlines on and off the course, Kaymer continues to fly under the deck and let his game do the talking. If you need a prime example, look no further than last year's PGA Championship, a tournament that was known more for Dustin Johnson's blunder than Kaymer's victory.

It's a role he seems to embrace. But that could all change if he wins this week. Assuming he captures his third title in Abu Dhabi, Kaymer would bypass Tiger Woods as the second ranked player in the world. It's an accomplishment that doesn't seem to impress Kaymer all that much.

"Every tournament I play this year, at least in the beginning, it will be like this," Kaymer told the Telegraph after Friday's round. "If you finish here or there you get to No. 2. And of course if you get to No. 2 you want to get No. 1. But it is not my main goal this year."

Kaymer's main goal this season appears to be implementing a new-look swing that has him swinging on a flatter plane in an effort to promote draw spin on the ball.

Even though the swing is close, Kaymer still said it was a work in progress. If this is what it looks like in the early stages, it's scary to imagine how good Kaymer could be when he trusts the swing completely.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/blog/golf_experts/post/Martin-Kaymer-s-game-could-become-even-better-in?urn=golf-310887

Matt Duchene Gabriel Dumont Philippe Dupuis Cody Eakin

Paul Daley Promises Knockout of Nick Diaz, Voices Criticism of GSP

Filed under: UFC, FanHouse Exclusive

Paul Daley has other business on his fighting agenda before he can lock up a Strikeforce welterweight title shot against current champion Nick Diaz, but that doesn't mean the hard-hitting Brit isn't already looking forward to the possibility of facing Diaz.

Daley needs to win a Feb. 26 match in the UK with Yuya Shirai, and if he does, a date with Diaz awaits him.

While Diaz recently said he's "not impressed with Paul Daley as a mixed martial artist" aside from his standup, Daley indicated on Monday's edition of The MMA Hour that he'd have more than enough firepower to wrest the belt from him.

"I hit unlike any other welterweight in MMA," he said. "I will knock Diaz out. I will knock him out."

Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/01/31/paul-daley-on-nick-diaz-i-will-knock-him-out/

Tyler Pitlick Tomas Plekanec Chris Porter Kevin Porter

Surprising Louisville Stalls on Potential Ride From Good to Great

Filed under: Georgetown, Louisville, Big East

WASHINGTON -- Preston Knowles' head was hanging as he sat at his locker in Verizon Center Monday night, not long after Louisville's rally against Georgetown fell short, 62-59. Like his teammates, he had played a role in the 15th-ranked Cardinals' dud of a first half, and in the charge back into the lead in the second half, then its stumbles in the final two minutes as the 13th-ranked Hoyas held them off.

As a follow-up to Louisville's electrifying double-overtime victory at Connecticut two days earlier -- one that elevated the Cardinals, unranked in the preseason, to their highest poll position so far -- this was far from an embarrassment. Yet Knowles, Louisville's only senior starter and its leading scorer, couldn't find any satisfaction either from the unexpected overall showing (they are now 17-5 and tied for second in the Big East at 6-3) or the near-miss against Georgetown.

"We were picked eighth in our conference,'' he said. "I think we exceeded not our expectations, not our team's, but everybody's expectations for us. But we want to become a great team, and we have to sacrifice and do the things to become a great team.''

Knowles' reaction indicates that he heard and absorbed coach Rick Pitino's post-game lesson for his team: that he was "really, really upset with them," for a reason.

"We gave them a speech before the game about good to great, that good is the enemy of great,'' Pitino continued. "And I want them to understand that as you try to go up the ladder to become a good basketball team, you've got to hate losing. It's got to gnaw at you. You can't say, 'Well, that was unbelievable, what a great comeback,' be satisfied with the comeback and the moral victory. That's what an inexperienced team can be. It doesn't matter if you have great heart, you have to win the game.

 

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Source: http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2011/01/31/surprising-louisville-stalls-on-potential-ride-from-good-to-grea/

Mike Richards Brad Richardson Zac Rinaldo Mattias Ritola

Mike Krzyzewski's Eldest Daughter Recovering From Mild Stroke

DURHAM, N.C.(AP) -- The oldest daughter of Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski is expected to make a full recovery after suffering a mild stroke several weeks ago.

The school said in a statement Monday night that Debbie Krzyzewski Savarino is back at work as the assistant director of Duke's Legacy Fund and director of external relations for the Blue Devils' basketball office.

According to the statement, Savarino is recovering from a vertebral artery dissection that resulted in a mild stroke. School spokesman Jon Jackson says Savarino's recovery is progressing "extremely well."

 

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Source: http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2011/02/01/mike-krzyzewskis-eldest-daughter-recovering-from-mild-stroke/

Francis Bouillon Marc-Andre Bourdon Jay Bouwmeester Johnny Boychuk

2011 Copa Libertadores: Second Legs To Trim Copa Field To 32

Source: http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2011/2/1/1968908/2011-copa-libertadores-second-legs-to-trim-copa-field-to-32

Rob Schremp Jordan Schroeder Felix Schutz Henrik Sedin

RaceHub returns on SPEED, much to one driver's chagrin

RaceHub is returning on SPEED for the 2011 season, and they've released a promo video to get everybody stoked. So here it is. Yes, it starts out pretty slow, but give it time, there's a solid payoff ...

So say we all, Biff. So say we all.

RaceHub will run Monday through Thursday on SPEED at 7 p.m. Eastern. We'd say to tell 'em Yahoo! Sports sent you, but they probably don't want you showing up at their HQ to tell them that.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/blog/from_the_marbles/post/RaceHub-returns-on-SPEED-much-to-one-driver-s-c?urn=nascar-312344

Kris Draper Nicholas Drazenovic Chris Drury Brandon Dubinsky