By Zack Cimini
Notjustagame23@gmail.com

Our latest installment of rankings ends concludes with power forward rankings. Look for updated rankings via each position every two to three weeks. The rankings just like we’ve mentioned in all our fantasy position based on what Yahoo’s standards are for each individual player. Obviously players will be included in multiple rankings of ours due to the fact most can be moved seamlessly in various positions.

Power Forward Rankings

1. Dirk Nowitzki- Deserved every bit of his MVP title a few years ago, and has been a high caliber player since he was drafted.
2. Chris Bosh- Now that the Raptors organization pursued talent it seems to be rubbing off on Bosh to put in optimal levels of effort each night.
3. Tim Duncan- Still a monster too control the paint against any opponent.
4. Pau Gasol- Best all around offensive game in the post of any big man.
5. Zach Randolph- Just had a game breaking performance that may be one of the best all season long.
6. Kevin Love- Probably wishing he didn’t come back to the nightmare that is fully alive in Minnesota
7. Danny Granger- Should Yahoo be able to let owners start him at PF?
8. Antwan Jamison- All Star Caliber level for many many years
9. Carlos Boozer- Responded to adversity and injuries like a professional with his talent should.
10. Brook Lopez- The newest youngest stud big man that’s made his official stamp on the league.
11. Amare Stoudemire- Statistically looking great but on film is disappearing in stretches. He could be putting up better numbers than he is.
12. David Lee- Found a place to build a long lasting career at.
13. Marcus Camby- The Camby man still has the Dikembe esque finger waving presence higher than any other big man in the league.
14. Gerald Wallace- Super freak of an athlete. The Jevon Kearse of basketball.
15. Jason Thompson- Raw ability is starting to be turned into advanced play on the court.
16. Rudy Gay- Transforming the Grizzlies into a young future contender
17. Josh Smith- Letting the game come to him.
18. Nene Hilario
19. Joakim Noah
20. Al Harrington
21. Al Horford
22. Jeff Green
23. Andrea Bargani
24. Al Jefferson
25. Corey Maggette
26. Kevin Garnett
27. Rashard Lewis
28. Channing Frye
29. Stephen Jackson
30. Carl Landry
31. Charlie Villanueva
32. Luis Scola
33. Michael Beasley
34. Emeka Okafor
35. Troy Murphy
36. David West
37. Kenyon Martin
38. Anderson Varejeo
39. Mehmet Okur
40. Thaddeus Young
41. Paul Millsap
42. Ersan Ilyasova
43. Elton Brand
44. Shawn Marion
45. Al Thornton
46. Ben Wallace
47. Andres Nocioni
48. Andrei Kirilenko
49. Lamar Odom
50. Spencer Hayes
51. Boris Diaw
52. Drew Gooden
53. Chris Anderson
54. Rasheed Wallace
55. Marvin Williams
56. Anthony Randolph
57. Andray Blatche
58. Udonis Haslem
59. Jared Dudley
60. Ryan Anderson

By Zack Cimini
Notjustagame23@gmail.com

The advancement and growth of fantasy sports and fantasy football specifically has been exponential year by year. There are many different types of leagues setup by giddy commissioners that drool for preparation each summer. Owners currently find the biggest differences in comparitive leagues based on scoring formats and starting spots. Whether it’s an additional flex spot, or other minimal differences there is a big glaring neglecting hole that needs to be used in 2010. A roster’s bench.

A bench is basically there for owners to have depth in order to sidestep bye weeks, injuries, or unfavorable matchups. It works out perfectly most of the time until you look at your teams loss and see all the accumulated points and non used contributions that sat on your bench. Owners predictably can count on losing multiple games by their boneheaded moves of starting the wrong players.

The main variable that makes fantasy football so enticing is it’s real life management feel on top of watching that come to fruition every Sunday. You deal with the injuries like a true manager, make cuts, trades, and even get into a few spats every now in then with your divisional opponents.

The element missing from fantasy football is the ability to use your bench the same way a coach in the NFL can. Why should you as a fantasy owner have to witness an absolute horrid performance from one of your starters? Just like a coach can yank a poor performing quarterback to give his team a chance at winning, a fantasy owner should be able to as well. When that coach makes the sacrifice it’s not an automatic restart to the game. He lives with that decision in belief his team has a stronger opportunity to grab a win from that point forward.

Losing out on whatever time has surpassed in the game; a quarter or whichever length should easily be a technology ramification Yahoo Sports, ESPN, and many other fantasy football software companies can do. Owners than can decide where to make a move and maybe gain an extra five to ten points to pull out a win. Case in point a quarterback like Kurt Warner is one you can tell if he is going to have a strong or poor game after a few series.

Maybe he comes out flat and you started him because of a favorable matchup. You would still get his crappy performance as part of your team for the length of time it took you to pull him out. If you make that sacrifice too bench Warner for another quarterback playing at the same time the Cardinals game started, you’d take the hit for how many minutes that game is behind the Cardinals game. If the game is ahead minutes wise than whoever you inserts statistics would not count until it met the official time period of Warner being benched.

This would be the same for a player on your bench that’s game is starting later. Software would recognize the time that players statistics can start counting based upon your move. Of course this could backfire and Warner could go out and have an incredible second half as does happen in a game of momentum swings. The best push for this is in the case of injuries. When a player goes down on your fantasy team you usually have to eat that donut of points in costly fashion.

Let the fantasy owner have the ability to utilize his bench in a true manner. Right now it is not a bench it is a minor league team waiting for call up spot duty on a sporadic basis. We truly believe this element needs to be added to fantasy leagues as quick as possible. It’d be comparable to the stock market where making that sell too early could be fatal to your team, but making that daring move can also reap a big pay day and ultimately win for your fantasy team.

Provide us feedback on what you think by emailing us at notjustagame23@gmail.com. Start contacting Yahoo, ESPN, and your favorite league setup to implement this for 2010. Fantasy football needs a new twist to it, and this is it.

By Zack Cimini
Notjustagame23@gmail.com

Talk about a breakout week for running backs not even ranked in the top fifty of any fantasy sports rankings coming into 2009. Jerome Harrison, Jamal Charles, Maurice Morris, Michael Bush, and Beanie Wells were the fantasy factor backs for week fifteen. Who would of imagined that? All this does is give fantasy owners knocked out of the playoffs chances to wheel and deal in your dynasty leagues, or start taking notes early for next years draft. It is never too early to start preparing to strategize and reload for next year. Heck, those owners should be strategizing for building a 2009 fantasy playoff team. There though the players busting out on teams not heading for the playoffs won’t matter to you.

A small percentage of owners though have a shot at winning their leagues title. Meaning you’ve got one last shot to perfect your fantasy lineup via the waiver wire.

Quarterbacks

Chad Henne- Henne likely has answered enough questions Miami may have had about making him compete with Chad Pennington for 2010’s starting job. The future is in Henne’s hands and he will learn from the mistakes he has been making. Unlike some of his younger counterparts trying to adapt to the game, Henne is displaying an array of throws and isn’t afraid to stick the ball in some tough spots. Miami was afraid to unleash Henne after the wildcat had to be abandoned. In the long run it will prove to be a quality decision by coach Sparano. Miami should also give Henne some better talent to throw to as Davone Bess, Ted Ginn, Greg Camarillo, and Brian Hartline is not going to cut it.

Matt Moore- What does Carolina have a reason to sit Delhomme for good? Moore’s got the size at 6’6, and is performing well for a quarterback with as little experience as himself. Were sure the Panthers will still have Delhomme as their starter going into 2010, but the battle will brew quickly if Delhomme has any mishaps as he did this year.

Running Backs

Jerome Harrison- Just when it seemed like the Browns were going to give the bulk of their carries to Chris Jennings they fooled us all. Harrison dueled against Jamaal Charles for the highest combo from two backs all season long. We don’t know if Harrison’s breakout game will end up being an after thought but we do know he will be the hottest commodity on any waiver wire this week.

Maurice Morris- Morris did much more than expected against a Cardinals defense that has been stout against the run. Heck they shut down Adrian Peterson to 19 yards. Detroit came out of the second half with a strong commitment to get back in the game. They made some changes on the offensive line as well which really gave Morris some great lanes to run the ball through. Morris is a great veteran back that has done well when giving the opportunity due to injuries

Michael Bush- Whatever system the Raiders plan on having for Michael Bush and Darren McFadden is yet to be discovered. The carries all year long have had no consistency, but they do know they have a talented core of backs. Look for the Raiders to continue to heighten the overall carries to their tail backs. With a strong weakness at quarterback the best thing to do is keep a heavy dose of run plays. It worked to their advantage and allowed them to eek out their fifth win of the season.

Tight Ends

J.P. Foschi- Carson Palmer accuracy lately is as precise as anyone in the league. He seems to have timing down with every pass catching Bengal. Foschi had a big day against the Chargers. He is a big target that hasn’t seen enough looks for whatever reason. Palmer likely has gained trust and confidence after this game and will start to look his way more often.

John Carlson- Carlson was the only plus too Seattle’s horrid performance against the lowly Buccaneers. If your looking for a new look at tight end for your fantasy super bowl hopes, Carlson is available in 44 percent of Yahoo leagues.

Wide Receivers

Chaz Schilens- Schilens is a big target that has a knack for getting open. After missing most of the year with injuries, Schilens is starting to factor in more and more. With the Raiders barely throwing for 100 yards on any given week it’s a high risk investment to go with Schilens. At any rate the Raiders have scored 20 or more points in three of their last five games. Most of that was due to the effectiveness of Bruce Gradkowski. Still, Schilens is worth a shot if you’re stuck in a rut in your third wide receiver position.

Chris Chambers- After being unable to beat out Malcolm Floyd for a starting position in San Diego and fading on their roster by the week, it seemed that Chambers was ready to be written off from fantasy relevance for good. When he was cut and picked up off the natural NFL waiver wire little was thought of Chambers having an impact. The Chiefs needed someone with Dwayne Bowe’s suspension and Chambers immediately entered their starting position. Were still surprised at what he has been able to do, but it can no longer be looked at as a fluke.

Lavernues Coles- Coles lost his starting job to Andre Caldwell but Palmer still will be throwing his way for the short and intermediate routes. Coles has lost the speed he had as a Jet but still can run decent routes. The Bengals will need him to perform like he did this past week to keep Chad Johnson from being blanketed by double and triple coverages.

Kevin Walters- Matt Schaub and the Texans have dismissed any thoughts of running the football. Schaubs averaging 300 yards passing a game and has had Andre Johnson owners beaming lately. When you’re throwing the football at the pace the Texans are obviously balls are going to be a plenty to catch. Proportionally it should mean the first three receivers on the Texans depth chart should all be fantasy factors. Walters is coming off his best year in the league but has had trouble factoring in due to Andre Johnsons enormous all world games.

Mike Wallace- The rookie came up huge with a catch Steelers fans will never forget. When memories of the 2009 highlight reels are showcased he will always be a part of that. Big Ben’s refusal to let his team down and carry everything on his shoulders has meant many a passes being thrown. Roethlisberger’s averaging throwing the football 34 times a game. With Hines Ward seemingly playing no where near 100 percent, it will mean Wallace’s role should expand the last few games.

By Zack Cimini
Notjustagame23@gmail.com

We will forget about Darko Milicic being the piece of NBA draft history that separated the true number one and two picks of the 2003 NBA Draft. Linking Lebron and Carmelo is just a natural part of NBA history. Melo got a championship in college and had been successful on pure talent his first five years in the league. After the Olympic run though Melo saw that extra level of play he needed to build towards. Dedicating himself in several areas on and off the court became his mission. We no longer hear stories of Melo’s controversial involvement off the field. Instead he is putting in extra work conditioning and adding moves to his repertoire.

At an MVP level he might be able to swing around the automatic distinction of rankings between him and Lebron.

Small Forward Fantasy Rankings

1. Lebron James- Magic Johnson esque. Near triple double threat every night.
2. Carmelo Anthony- Pay attention more to what he is doing off the court. Donated 3 million to help build Syracuse’s new athletic facility named after Carmelo.
3. Joe Johnson- Seemed to be coasting a couple of years but it’s just his easy smooth demeanor to the game. It truly comes easy to him.
4. Kevin Durant- Showing what Tracy McGrady could have been like from the gate in Toronto. Durant is right behind Melo and Lebron as the front runners to lead the face of the NBA for the next decade.
5. Andre Iguodala- Underrated and one of the best roamers for thefts in the league, averaging two a game.
6. Brandon Roy- Has to be the vocal leader for a team in dire need of floor leadership.
7. Gerald Wallace- Why did he ride the pine in Sacramento for three years before being dealt?
8. Josh Smith- Gives so much extra with his two blocks a game.
9. Danny Granger- Injured but still makes our top ten
10. Rudy Gay- Memphis is quietly building a talented team.
11. Antwan Jamison- Incredible how his level of play has sustained at such a high level for all these years.
12. Luol Deng- Needs to stay away from the injury bug and out of the dog house the entire year.
13. Trevor Ariza- Went from role player in the 08-09 season, to playoff catalyst in 09 to mega contract and stud for the Rockets. What a difference a year makes.
14. Jason Thompson- Started the year slow but over the last three weeks is showing great progress. At 6’11 he is just touching the surface of what he can do.
15. Jeff Green- Were thinking the Thunder won’t let either Green or Durant leave the foundation they’ve started.
16. Vince Carter
17. Paul Pierce
18. Jason Richardson
19. Danilo Gallinari
20. Hedo Turkoglu
21. Caron Butler
22. Michael Beasley
23. Stephen Jackson
24. Rashard Lewis
25. Corey Maggette
26. J.R. Smith
27. Chris Douglas-Roberts
28. Carl Landry
29. Charlie Villanueva
30. Shane Battier
31. Shawn Marion
32. John Salmons
33. Josh Howard
34. Ersan Ilyasova
35. Thaddeus Young
36. Richard Jefferson
37. Al Thornton
38. Grant Hill
39. Wilson Chandler
40. Andres Nocioni
41. Mike Dunleavy
42. Dahntay Jones
43. Anthony Morrow
44. Boris Diaw
45. Andrei Kirelenko
46. Peja Stojakovic
47. Larry Hughes
48. Lamar Odom
49. Paul Millsap
50. Ron Artest
51. Marvin Williams
52. Jared Dudley
53. Quentin Richardson
54. Mike Miller
55. Hakim Warrick
56. Terrence Williams
57. Nick Young
58. Martell Webster
59. Chuck Hayes
60. Corey Brewer
61. Chase Budinger
62. Anthony Parker
63. Thabo Sefolosha
64. DeJaun Blair
65. Louis Amundson

By Zack Cimini
notjustagame23@gmail.com

Whose the face of the NBA when it comes to the center position? Shaq O’Neal would like to say that’s his ring of honor until he retires. Clearly though the last two to three years the most dominant center has been Dwight Howard. In fact without a doubt Howard has been the front runner. From a fantasy standpoint though does his deficiencies at the free throw line cost him his actual NBA ranking? Yes it does.

Center Rankings 12/19

1. Chris Bosh-Playing up in Toronto with literally no nationally televised games, Bosh’s game is not available for NBA fanatics to see on a regular basis. Bosh’s numbers are better than Howard’s and he doesn’t cost you dearly shooting at 77 percent from the free throw line.

2. Brook Lopez- There isn’t much to talk about in New Jersey, but the emergence of Lopez is. Hard work in the off-season is paying huge dividends for Lopez.

3. Paul Gasol- All this talk about awards for the decade. One we have not heard is steal trade or bogus move of the decade. That clearly goes to Memphis for how easily they handed Gasol over to the Lakers.

4. Tim Duncan- Showing a lot of guts to still carry this team, even though Richard Jefferson was supposed to take some of the burden off of him.

5. Carlos Boozer- Many were ready to write Boozer off. He didn’t get traded like he wanted too but has brought the same approach he has had since he entered the league as a second round pick.

6. Dwight Howard- We have to be critical of his free throw percentage. He gets to the line so often but is a costly detriment from an nba fantasy standpoint in his inability to nail them.

7. David Lee- Hustles every night. Went from hardly used to being a difference maker nightly.

8. Marcus Camby- Shuffled around from team to team but stays consistent every year. This from a guy that has been in the league since 1996.

9. Amare Stoudemire- Once a perennial elite specimen, Stoudemire is either playing at a level he wants to or will never be the same from all of his various injuries.

10. Zach Randolph- Injuries and being on poor teams his whole career have not stopped him from coming to work.

11. Kevin Love- Should surge up as the season goes on as he is just coming into form after missing a big portion of the season.

12. Chris Kaman- Camby and Kaman are arguably the best big man tandem in the NBA.

13. Marc Gasol- Talk about a turn around of a transformation. Gasol is on pace to be in contention for most improved player.

14. Joakim Noah- Tyson Chandler, Eddy Curry, Brad Miller, etc. The Bulls finally have their center for years ahead.

15. Al Horford- Florida somehow had the tandem of Noah/Horford for multiple years. It has to be the best interior prescence college basketball has had this past decade.

16. Nene Hilario- Credit Hilario for his quick recovery and vital role as a Nugget. If it weren’t for Hilario’s development the Nuggets decision to trade away Camby could of back fired.

17. Troy Murphy
18. Luis Scola
19. Andrew Bynum
20. LaMarcus Aldridge
21. Al Harringotn
22. Andrea Bargani
23. Andrew Bogut
24. Brendan Haywood
25. Emeka Okafor
26. Elton Brand
27. Erick Dampier
28. Channing Frye
29. Mehmet Okur
30. Jermaine O’Neal
31. Anderson Varejeo
32. Marreese Speights
33. Kendrick Perkins
34. Shaq O’Neal
35. Joel Pryzbilla
36. Chris Anderson
37. Samuel Dalembert
38. Ben Wallace
39. Rasheed Wallace
40. Andray Blatche
41. Spencer Hayes
42. Nenad Krstic
43. Ryan Anderson
44. Matt Bonner
45. Andris Biedrins
46. Roy Hibbert
47. Chuck Hayes
48. Udonis Haslem
49. Tyson Chandler
50. Louis Amundson

By Zack Cimini
Notjustagame23@gmail.com

As the football regular season winds down look for notjustagame to provide more content geared towards your fantasy basketball leagues. There has been an unusual amount of early season injuries this year in the NBA. Most teams across the board have been affected strongly by this. Another factor is the league is much younger. The last three to four years of drafts have started to embed rosters heavily percentage wise on the younger side.

Unlike in fantasy football wheeling and dealing players on your team is a must. You can be overloaded in one position unexpectedly. Be a true manager and make the sacrifices early on before you bury yourself too far down the standings to make a run. The impact of the waiver wire also needs to be a daily scouring activity. This time of year you can really see some managers in leagues that are use to checking in and participating in their fantasy football leagues. In football it requires less maintenance than the day too day max views necessary of your nba team. Get on top of those lazy owners early if you have not already.

Shooting Guard Rankings

1. Kobe Bryant- His spot forever unless he is out due to injury
2. Kevin Durant- Gaining weight to play with the big boys does not look like it will ever bother him.
3. Dwayne Wade- Being on a dismal team seems to be affecting his pysche
4. Monta Ellis- Perfect Don Nelson system player
5. Andre Iguodala- Doing much more than people are noticing.
6. Joe Johnson- Wonder if Phoenix ever regrets letting him go.
7. Brandon Roy- Roy is excelling in different areas of his game every night. One night he is able to do it off the dribble, another he can drain perimeter shots like it’s nothing. He is letting the game come to him and not pressing.
8. Tyreke Evans- Proving that the high school jump needs to be permitted for some athletes. Maybe they should create a board to evaluate seniors in high school, and see if their NBA talent. In the long run keeping an athlete of Evans caliber away from the NBA for a year is doing more harm to his family and college for being one and done.
9. Caron Butler- In shape thanks to not doing the dew.
10. Danny Granger- Even though he is out three more weeks Granger is duplicating last years effort and officially a nightly force in the NBA.
11. Trevor Ariza- Houston is just one of those franchises that knows what they’re doing. The Lakers drew the praise for stealing Artest away and gladly letting Ariza depart. Ariza has been playing with a toughness and leadership level no one saw in him.
12. Vince Carter- It’s hard to believe Carter is in his 13th year. Carter still has the rare athleticism very alive in him. Off balanced shots are just a blip of his regular repertoire.
13. Rodney Stuckey- When Detroit made the move to bring Stuckey in and Iverson to the bench they knew what they were doing.
14. OJ Mayo- Sort of having a semi step back start to his 09 year.
15. Luol Deng- Responding well from his injury prone 08 year.
16. Ben Gordon- No one is as lethal when he is on.
17. Richard Hamilton- Has increased production
18. Paul Pierce- Just one of those wily veterans that picks his spots to perfection during a game.
19. Jamal Crawford- The definition of instant offense. One of the main reasons for Atlanta’s surprising success.
20. Louis Williams- Set to return this week.
21. Stephen Jackson- Hated wherever he is but is one of those players that stays in the NBA because he has exceptional talent.
22. Jason Terry- Is as hot and cold a shooter there is but never loses the confidence to chuck up that basketball.

The Rest

23. Eric Gordon
24. Chris Douglas-Roberts
25. Hedo Turkoglu
26. Mike Dunleavy
27. Ray Allen
28. J.R. Smith
29. Jonny Flynn
30. Steph Curry
31. Jason Richardson
32. John Salmons
33. Wilson Chandler
34. Raymond Felton
35. Ron Artest
36. Will Bynum
37. Allen Iverson
38. Josh Howard
39. Michael Redd
40. Manu Ginobli
41. Dahntay Jones
42. Corey Brewer
43. Grant Hill
44. Courtney Lee
45. Ty Lawson
46. Leandro Barbosa
47. Terrence Williams
48. Quentin Richardson
49. Mike Miller
50. Eddie House