WEEK 17 Staff Picks ATS (2013)

WEEK 17
THE GAMES
Date & Time Favorite Spread Underdog
12/29 1:00 ET Carolina    -6 At Atlanta
12/29 1:00 ET At Tennessee    -7.5 Houston
12/29 1:00 ET At Pittsburgh    -7 Cleveland
12/29 1:00 ET At NY Giants    -3.5 Washington
12/29 1:00 ET At Cincinnati    -6.5 Baltimore
12/29 1:00 ET At Indianapolis    -10.5 Jacksonville
12/29 1:00 ET At Miami    -5.5 NY Jets
12/29 1:00 ET At Minnesota    -2.5 Detroit
12/29 4:25 ET Green Bay    -3 At Chicago
12/29 4:25 ET At New England    -7.5 Buffalo
12/29 4:25 ET At Seattle    -11.5 St. Louis
12/29 4:25 ET At New Orleans    -12 Tampa Bay
12/29 4:25 ET Denver    -11 At Oakland
12/29 4:25 ET San Francisco    -1 At Arizona
12/29 4:25 ET At San Diego    -10 Kansas City
12/29 8:30 ET Philadelphia    -6.5 At Dallas
       
THE PICKS
  Roid Rage     Ginger King     Dr. Mike     Vegas Vinny  
  W L T     W L T     W L T     W L T  
Last Week 9 7 0     12 4 0     7 9 0     7 9 0  
Season to-date 119 113 8     124 108 8     123 109 8     110 122 8  
   CAR      CAR      CAR      CAR  
   HOU      TENN      TENN      TENN  
   PITT      PITT      CLE      PITT  
   WASH      NYG      NYG      NYG  
   CIN      BALT      CIN      CIN  
   JAC      JAC      INDY      JAG  
   NYJ      MIA      MIA      MIA  
   DET     DET       DET      DET  
   GB      GB      GB      GB  
   NE      NE      NE      BUF  
   SEA      SEA      STL      SEA  
   NO      NO      TB      NO  
   DEN      DEN      DEN      DEN  
   SF      SF      SF      SF  
   KC      KC      KC      KC  
   PHI      DAL      PHI      DAL  
LOTW  SF      CAR      DET      NO  
LOTW Record 9 8 0     8 9 0     6 11 0     10 6 1  

WEEK 16 Staff Picks ATS (2013)

WEEK 16
  THE GAMES
Date & Time Favorite Spread Underdog
12/22 1:00 ET Miami -2.5 At Buffalo
12/22 1:00 ET At Carolina -3 New Orleans
12/22 1:00 ET Dallas -3 At Washington
12/22 1:00 ET At St. Louis -5.5 Tampa Bay
12/22 1:00 ET At NY Jets -2 Cleveland
12/22 1:00 ET At Kansas City -7 Indianapolis
12/22 1:00 ET At Cincinnati -7.5 Minnesota
12/22 1:00 ET Denver -10.5 At Houston
12/22 1:00 ET Tennessee -5.5 At Jacksonville
12/22 4:05 ET At Seattle -10.5 Arizona
12/22 4:05 ET At Detroit -9 NY Giants
12/22 4:25 ET At San Diego -10 Oakland
12/22 4:25 ET At Green Bay Pk Pittsburgh
12/22 4:25 ET At Baltimore -2.5 New England
12/22 8:30 ET At Philadelphia -3 Chicago
12/23 8:40 ET At San Francisco -12 Atlanta
THE PICKS
Roid Rage     Ginger King     Dr. Mike     Vegas Vinny
W L T W L T W L T W L T
Last Week 12 4 0 11 5 0 11 5 0 7 9 0
Season to-date 110 106 8 112 104 8 116 100 8 103 113 8
MIA  MIA MIA MIA
CAR  CAR CAR NO
DAL  DAL DAL DAL
STL  STL TB TB
NYJ  NYJ CLE NY
INDY  INDY INDY KC
CIN  CIN CIN CIN
HOU  DEN DEN DEN
JAC  JAC JAC TENN
ARI  ARI SEA SEA
NYG  DET DET NY
SD  SD OAK SD
GB  PITT GB PITT
BAL  NE NE NE
CHI  PHI CHI CHIC
SF  SF ATL SF
LOTW BAL  NE DAL DEN
LOTW Record 9 7 0 7 9 0 6 10 0 9 6 1
Epic. Fail. Again.

Epic. Fail…..(Again)

WEEK 15 Staff Picks ATS (2013)

WEEK 15
THE GAMES
Date & Time Favorite Spread Underdog
12/12 8:25 ET At Denver -10.5 San Diego
12/15 1:00 ET At Atlanta -6.5 Washington
12/15 1:00 ET San Francisco -5.5 At Tampa Bay
12/15 1:00 ET Seattle -7 At NY Giants
12/15 1:00 ET At Cleveland Pk Chicago
12/15 1:00 ET At Indianapolis -5.5 Houston
12/15 1:00 ET Buffalo -2 At Jacksonville
12/15 1:00 ET New England -2.5 At Miami
12/15 1:00 ET Philadelphia -4.5 At Minnesota
12/15 4:05 ET At Carolina -11 NY Jets
12/15 4:05 ET Kansas City -4.5 At Oakland
12/15 4:25 ET Arizona -2.5 At Tennessee
12/15 4:25 ET New Orleans -5.5 At St. Louis
12/15 4:25 ET At Dallas -7 Green Bay
12/15 8:30 ET Cincinnati -2.5 At Pittsburgh
12/16 8:40 ET At Detroit -6 Baltimore
THE PICKS
Roid Rage     Ginger King     Dr. Mike     Vegas Vinny
W L T W L T W L T W L T
Last Week 6 9 1 9 6 1 5 10 1 8 7 1
Season to-date 98 102 8 101 99 8 105 95 8 96 104 8
SD  DEN DEN DEN
WASH  WASH ATL ATL
SF  SF SF SF
SEA  SEA SEA SEA
CLE  CHI CHI CHIC
INDY  INDY INDY INDY
JAC  BUFF JAC BUFF
MIA  NE NE NE
PHIL  MINN MINN PHIL
NYJ  NYJ NYJ CAR
KC  KC KC KC
ARI  ARI ARI ARIZ
NO  NO NO NO
GB  DAL GB DAL
PIT  PITT PIT CIN
BALT DET BALT DET
LOTW PIT      CHI     INDY     PHIL
LOTW Record 8 7 0 6 9 0 5 10 0 9 5 1
It's all fun and games until someone gets deactivated for the final 3 games!

It’s all fun and games until someone gets deactivated for the final 3 games!

Week 14 – Fantasy Waiver Wire Pickups

Alright, so you’ve made it to the playoffs.  Congrats.  Now, it gets real.  Win you stay in.  Lose, and you get to watch your friends play on and listen to your spouse complain about what a waste of money you’ve spent on “fantasy games.”  But you don’t want to be that guy, that’s why you’re here, and that’s why we’re here for you.  So here are our top waiver wire pickups.

Montee Ball, RB Denver (percent available in Yahoo! leagues, 61%)

Just hold on to the ball.

Just hold on to the ball.

Ball is finally showing the promise that led many people (including The Machine) to draft him as the first rookie RB (over the likes of Eddie Lacy and Gio Bernard).  However, an early case of fumbleitis put Ball on the bench.  It looks like he’s worked his way back to splitting time with Knowshon, and, with Moreno a little banged up, Montee’s been getting more touches.  Last week, he had his first 100 yard game, rushing for 117 on 13 carries against KC.  This week, Denver’s home against Tennessee, and Montee should see between 15-20 touches.

Michael Crabtree, WR San Francisco (54%)

Guess who's back?

Guess who’s back?

We told you to get Crabtree last week, when he was available in more than half of leagues.  He only saw 4 targets last week, but had a 60 yard reception, giving the Niners the deep threat offensive weapon it so desperately needs.  With another week under his belt, Crabtree’s targets should increase.

Donald Brown, RB Indy (50%)

Indy has finally realized that Trent Richardson is a bust, and has turned to Brown as the featured back.  He more than doubled the amount of carries compared to Trent last week (14 to 5), and is being used almost exclusively in the redzone.  That’s where Brown’s value really is.

Trent who?

Trent who?

He’s got a tough matchup this week against Cincy, and while he may not post huge yards, his use in the redzone carries always make him likely to score.  Brown’s a low end RB2 or Flex.

Josh McCown, QB Chicago (40%)

Just throw it to Alshon.

Just throw it to Alshon.

McCown just might be the savior for your fantasy team.  Over his last two games, McCown’s averages more than 350 yards/game, with 4 tds and 1 ints.  He’s filled in quite admirably for the oft-injured Jay Cutler.  In his 6 starts this year, McCown has 9 tds and only 1 int.  He’s got a Monday Night matchup against Dallas, and should continue his hot streak.

Ladarius Green, TE San Diego (25%)

Chances are good for another TD this week.

Chances are good for another TD this week.

Who is Ladarius Green?  He’s a matchup nightmare.  A 6’6” athletic freak that runs a sub 4.5 40.  Although the TE position in San Diego has historically been filled by Antonio Gates, Ladarius’ athleticism has forced him into the lineup.  He’s scored a touchdown two weeks in a row, and is facing a Giants D that gives up plenty of yards in the air.

WEEK 14 Staff Picks ATS (2013)

WEEK 14
  THE GAMES
Date & Time Favorite Spread Underdog
12/5 8:25 ET Houston    -3 At Jacksonville
12/8 1:00 ET Kansas City    -3.5 At Washington
12/8 1:00 ET At Baltimore    -7 Minnesota
12/8 1:00 ET At New England    -12 Cleveland
12/8 1:00 ET At NY Jets    -3 Oakland
12/8 1:00 ET At Cincinnati    -6 Indianapolis
12/8 8:30 ET At New Orleans    -3.5 Carolina
12/8 1:00 ET At Philadelphia    -3 Detroit
12/8 1:00 ET At Pittsburgh    -3 Miami
12/8 1:00 ET At Tampa Bay    -2.5 Buffalo
12/8 4:05 ET At Denver    -12 Tennessee
12/8 4:25 ET At Arizona    -6.5 St. Louis
12/8 4:25 ET At San Diego    -3 NY Giants
12/8 4:25 ET At San Francisco    -3 Seattle
12/8 1:00 ET At Green Bay    Off Atlanta
12/9 8:40 ET At Chicago    -1 Dallas
THE PICKS
Roid Rage     Ginger King     Dr. Mike     Vegas Vinny
W L T W L T W L T W L T
Last Week 5 10 1 6 9 1 11 4 1 6 9 1
Season to-date 92 93 7 92 93 7 100 85 7 88 98 7
JAC  JAC JAC JAC
KC  KC KC KC
BAL  MINN BAL BAL
NE  NE NE NE
NYJ  OAK OAK OAK
INDY  CINN INDY CINN
NO  NO CAR CAR
DET  DET DET DET
MIA  PITT PIT MIAMI
BUF  TB BUF TB
TEN  DEN DEN DEN
STL  ARI ARI ARIZ
SD  SD NYG NYG
SF  SF SEA SEA
DAL  DAL DAL DAL
LOTW NO  NO KC SEA
LOTW Record 7 7 0 5 9 0 4 10 0 8 5 1

 

Tuesday Teabag, December 3, 2013 – Nick Saban

You know the old saying:  teabags come in three.  Well, that certainly holds true this week, as there are a triumvirate of teabagable head coaches. 

First up, Jason Kidd (how much longer can we call him coach?) for his drink spill timeout (see below).  I’ve seen better acting on the CW (don’t hate on The Vampire Diaries and Supernatural).  Kidd was fined $50,000 for his antics but his real penalty is continuing to be coach of the Nets

Jason Kidd

Next up, Pittsburgh Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin, on Thanksgiving Night, for his inexplicable entrance onto the field, which coincidentally (wink) just happened to be the exact moment Jacoby Jones was running down the sideline returning a kickoff for a touchdown.  Tomlin explained he was trying to get a better view of the jumbotron.  Really?  Were they doing the Kissing Cam?  Is there a better seat in the house than on the sidelines?  The NFL has yet to hand down a penalty, but we all know RGI doesn’t like when people mess with the integrity of the game.  Machine’s guess:  $100k fine (no loss of draft pick) and that’s taking into account Tomlin’s solid reputation.

 

But the real teabag winner this week is Nick Saban, head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide.  We’ve all seen the highlights; those of us who watched it live are still in awe.  Here it is again:

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This entire college football season (until Saturday) was summed up as: what team will lose to Alabama in the National Championship Game?  There was this feeling of inevitability.  Saban is the Bill Belechik of College Football (circa 2003), and Bama was just going through the motions on its way to a third straight national championship.  But who knew Saban was actually Bill Belechik circa 2007 (18-1, bitches!).  Make no mistake:  Nick Saban lost that game for Alabama, with a series of questionable coaching decisions.  Late in the fourth quarter, with the Tide up 7, Saban decides to go for it on 4th and 1 from the 13 yard line, instead of kicking a (short) 30 yard FG.  Sure, his kicker had already missed two, but being up 2 scores is worth it.  FYI, prior to Saturday, your kicker had never missed a FG shorter than 40 yards, so chances are good he hits from 30…or, how about you decide to switch kickers then, instead of bringing the new guy in to try a 57 yard FG when he’s only made one FG in his entire career, which was 20 yards, btw. 

Knowing that there was a good chance that the FG would be short, Saban should have put some players on the field that would be able to defend against a potential return.  He didn’t, and The Machine ventures to guess it’s because of his extreme arrogance and feeling of superiority.  That arrogance and superiority has helped Saban to build his program into what it is (they’re still the best team in the country).  But when that ego grows too large, you begin to think that no one can beat you, no matter what.  Therefore, any decision you make will be the right one.  Sorry Nick, enjoy your big fat piece of humble pie.

It's not my fault the players choked!

It’s not my fault the players choked!

What’s even worse was his comments after the game, where he basically threw his players (read: college kids) under the bus.  On Auburn’s touchdown tying drive with 32 seconds left:  “The corner is suppose to stay with the guy. The corner did not stay with the guy. You have to have tremendous discipline to play against this offense. We made a mental error in coverage that cost us a touchdown.”  Way to stand behind your players.  On Adam Griffith, the redshirt freshman who missed the 57 yard FG:  “Griff makes them from 60 yards in practice so there was a shot.”  Great, so now Griff’s a choker who can’t kick when it counts.  On Cade Foster, his kicker that missed 3 FG during the game:  “The fact of the matter is that we did not make plays when we needed to.  Whether it was a made field goal with a penalty or a missed field goal after that.”  Thanks, Coach, you know that kicker is receiving death threats, right?

The fact that Saban, instead of standing behind his players (how about highlighting the fact that Cade Foster had made 11 consecutive FG and had only missed one all season) and instead of putting the blame on his shoulders, blamed his 18-22 year old players for poor execution is pathetic, and shows that there is no end to his arrogance (he couldn’t possibly have contributed to the loss, right?).  Saban may be revered as God-like in Tuscaloosa, but he showed his true colors in the aftermath of Saturday’s game.  And make no mistake, crazy obsessed Alabama fans:  Saban will bolt as soon as he feels his status as God has been diminished, and will go somewhere that will put him back to God status.  Hello, Texas.

But for now, just live with the fact that he, and he alone, is responsible for ruining your season/life (and McCarron’s chance at the Heisman).  But at lease now you and Nick Saban have something in common:  you’ll both be watching the National Championship on TV this year.

Enjoy your teabag.