The Genius Who Drafted Doug Martin

Yup, that's me.

Aside from being an extremely badass MoFo, I was the genius who drafted Doug Martin in my fantasy league. You may be thinking I got lucky as hell or that I drafted him hoping he was a distant cousin of Curtis Martin, but your boy does his research. Your boy knew what he was doing.

Some may have questioned my fourth-round selection of a rookie running back who was joining a Tampa Bay Buccaneers squad that saw 2011 rookie RB LeGarrette Blount rush for 781 yards and five touchdowns, even when guys like Reggie Bush, Percy Harvin, Jordy Nelson and Trent Richardson were still on the board.

Question no more.

If you watched Martin and his Ray Rice-like body (Martin is just an inch taller than Rice and weighs three more pounds) tear it up at Boise State then you should have seen this coming.

The 23-year-old RB has a great combination or power and speed, and from what we've seen this season, it's working for him. Martin ranks third in the NFL in total rushing yards and put together one of the best rushing performances in the history of the NFL in Week 9, to the tune of 251 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.


Furthermore, Martin made me look like a stud, given his fantasy value this season. In my PPR, 12-team league, Martin ranks first among all RBs in total fantasy points with a whopping 161.9, highlighted by that 53.2 mark he put up this past weekend.

I would be an idiot to say that Martin wasn't the reason that I won this week:

And to think all the assholes in my league were trying to trade rape me for Martin a few weeks ago. HA.

I'll take the rest of the week to gloat about my 142-87 drubbing of last year's champ (suck it, G-Ron) and look forward to watching Martin run all over stupid Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers this weekend.

You can read more at Bleacher Report or hit me up on twitter.

Follow @Pete_Schauer

Thoughts From NBA Opener

We already knew this, but Rajon Rondo further proved how much of a little pesky douche he is after his strangulation attempt on Dwyane Wade last night in Miami's 120-107 win over Boston. Rondo was called for a flagrant foul and continued to look like a fool, walking around the court like a hard ass. In all honesty, Rondos lucky Wade didn't end him once and for all right then and there. For those of you who didn't see the play, here you go:

Doesn't Rondo realize he's nothing more than a 6'1" alien with freakishly large hands? Sure, he can dish it with the best of them and run the court, but who wants a PG who shoots a mere 62% from the free throw line and has an uglier jumper than Shawn Marion?

One thing was exceptionally clear after last night's game: the Heat are the team to beat.

LeBron James posted a double-double (26 points, 10 rebounds) while Wade led Miami with 29 points and a near beat down of the Celtics' PG. Personally, I thought the best part of the night—aside from Rondo pretending to be tough—was watching Ray Allen straight launch all over his former team, going 5-of-7 from FG range, including 2-of-3 from beyond the arc, to net 19 points in 31 minutes off the bench. Allen continued to prove he's a classy player, attempting to greet his former teammates, to which Kevin Garnett proved he's about as classy as Dennis Rodman.

Elsewhere, I can't help to be giddy after seeing the Los Angeles Lakers lose at home to a Dallas Mavericks squad without Dirk Nowitzki. Just like the Heat two seasons ago, it's going to take this Lakers team some time to gel together, and while I do think they'll be a great team come the end of the season, it's still fantastic to see them struggle and lose in the Staples Center on opening night on national television.

ESPN's John Buccigross is the man for tweeting this out:

Lakers lost their last two postseason games last season ... Lost all 8 preseason games this season ... And lost on Tuesday to the Mavericks.
— John Buccigross (@Buccigross) October 31, 2012

I still can't get used to seeing "Metta World Peace" in the box score and I'm still scratching my head as to why he's still in the starting lineup. The Artest formerly known as Ron scored just three points last night, going 1-of-8 from the field in 36 minutes on the court. 

Steve Nash did not impress whatsoever last night, dishing just four assists and scoring seven points in 34 minutes of time. In my mind, Pau Gasol was the most consistent Laker on Tuesday night.

And then there's a game that no one's talking about because it featured two small-market teams in the Washington Wizards and the Cleveland Cavaliers, who saw Kyrie Irving explode for 29 points and six rebounds to lead the Cavs to a 10-point win at home. That Dion Waiters/Kyrie Irving backcourt combo is going to be nasty to watch this season. Waiters showed us a little bit of what he can do last night, scoring 17 points in his first NBA appearance.

Other random thoughts: The Giants are going to work the Steelers worse than Big Ben worked that girl in the bathroom this Sunday, the New York City Marathon is going to be more of a mud run/obstacle course this weekend rather than a marathon and Rafael Soriano is a moron for opting out of his deal in the Bronx.

If you'd like to read some of my more professional work (yes, I am a professional), you can head over to Bleacher Report.

Follow @Pete_Schauer

Why Robinson Cano Will Be the Most Important Yankee Come October

Before fans dub Curtis Granderson the most important hitter in the Yankees lineup this October, they need to reconsider.

While Granderson was busy slugging his way to his most impressive season yet, Robinson Cano was also putting together another career season.  Although he didn’t hit .342 as he did back in ’06, Cano was the only regular Yankee starter to hit over .300.  And while most of the MLB couldn’t keep up with Granderson’s 41 home runs, 119 RBIs, and 136 runs scored, Cano bested Granderson in hits, batting average, and extra-base hits.

What’s most impressive about Cano’s .302 average was that he did it for most of the season without having Alex Rodriguez hitting ahead of him in the cleanup position.  Cano spent a better part of the second half of the season filling the void left by A-Rod, hitting out of the cleanup position behind Mark Texeira.

Cano, who was just short of beating Mattingly’s record for most extra-base hits by a Yankees left-handed hitter, has also excelled in clutch situations this season.  With runners in scoring position this year, Granderson hit .242, while Cano hit 76 points higher at .318, and Cano’s .277 average with runners in scoring position and two outs was 69 points higher than Granderson’s .208.

But it’s not just his bat that scouts and coaches are impressed with.  The sure handed Cano is often considered one of the top two second basemen in the league, with Boston’s Dustin Pedroia being the other. 

It could be his cannon for an arm, or the fact that he made just three errors in 1,393.1 innings in 2010, amounting to a .996 fielding percentage and earning him his first Gold Glove Award.

As far as postseason numbers, neither Granderson (.272) nor Cano (.248) has an average to brag about, but Cano does have the experience of playing October baseball in the pressure-cooker of New York. 

2011 marks the sixth consecutive season that Cano will be playing postseason baseball for the Yankees, giving him 141 total at bats in the playoffs, while Granderson, who has only been a member of two postseason teams, has only 81 playoff at bats.  Notably, Cano also out-hit, out-homered, and out-scored Granderson in the 2010 postseason.  

With that being said, don’t be surprised to see Cano take home two awards this October.

Pitching Showdown in the Bronx

The stage is set for Monday night in the Bronx.

Game 3 of the ALCS between the Texas Rangers and the New York Yankees is scheduled to begin tonight at 8 p.m. in New York on TBS.  With the series tied one a piece, both teams go into this game tonight looking to take the lead in the series with their proven postseason pitchers taking the mound.

Cliff Lee goes for the Rangers, posting a 6-0 record with a 1.44 ERA in seven career postseason starts, including three complete games.  Opposing Lee is New York's postseason stud Andy Pettitte, looking for his 20th career postseason victory.  Along with his 19 wins, Pettitte posts a 3.87 ERA in 41 career postseason starts.

The Rangers are coming off of their first home playoff win in the team's 50 year history.  For the Yankees it's business as usual as they are on a quest for their Major League leading 28th World Series Championship.

The hype over tonight's pitching matchup is not for nothing.  Andy Pettitte boasts a hefty 5-0 record with a 2.88 ERA in his last nine postseason starts while Cliff Lee is 5-0 with a 1.67 ERA in his last five starts in Yankee Stadium.  Two of those five wins were complete games, with one of them being the 6 hit, 10 strikeout gem in last year's Game 1 of the 2009 World Series while he was a Philadelphia Phillie in which he surrendered one run.

Game 3 could prove to be an important one, as the records indicate that out of the previous 19 ALCS Game 3's in which the series was tied 1-1, the winner of Game 3 has gone on to win the series 14 times.  If you're manager Joe Girardi, you've got to like your chances with Andy Pettitte on the mound, who holds the Major League record for wins, starts and innings, and Captain Derek Jeter in the lineup.  Jeter is one of the few players in the Majors to have steady success against Lee, posting a .432 batting average against Lee, including postseason; that is the highest out of any player in the MLB.

With Game 4 looming tomorrow night and a plan to start a rocky A.J. Burnett, it would be crucial for this seasoned Yankee team to take the lead in the series tonight.