Detroit Knosh City (USAT)

The 2012 Tigers were supposed to be a good-hit, bad-field bunch that contended for the AL Pennant. The last target came to pass, even if the path getting there didn't take the expected shape.

In spite of Miguel Cabrera's Triple Crown season (and controversial MVP), Detroit finished a mere 11th in the majors in runs (726), dropping 61 from the previous year. And don't blame it on the home yard, as Comerica Park played slightly favorable for offense in 2012. The full-season loss of Victor Martinez obviously didn't help, though the addition of Prince Fielder countered that nicely.

The Motown defense turned out to be problematic in spots, passable in others: while Fielder was mediocre at first and Cabrera was predictably messy at third, the Tigers were sharp up the middle (center fielder Austin Jackson, late arrival Omar Infante and even shortstop Jhonny Peralta graded well in most advanced defensive metrics). You'll find some team defensive formulas that gave the Tigers an acceptable grade, while some other measures went heavy with the red ink.

The pitching staff held its end of the bargain, mostly due to the name brands who took the ball every fifth day. Detroit finished third in AL ERA (3.75), sparked by the second-best rotation ERA (3.76). The tenth-worst bullpen (3.79) did nasty things to Jim Leyland's blood pressure, to the point that the Tigers shockingly made a closer change in the midst of the ALCS. Thanks for the memories and the ridiculous over-celebrations, Jose Valverde.

[Related: No reason for Detroit Tigers to regress]

While Detroit isn't the primary AL or World Series favorite as we wait for the snow to melt, the Tigers are on just about anyone's short lists of contenders. The roster has a score of proven and projectable veterans, which is what owner Mike Illitch deserves for the $150 million or so he'll sign for in 2013. Illitch turns 84 in the middle of the summer and desperately wants to get a World Series trophy in his lifetime, which means Detroit will probably act aggressively when the trading season opens. The goal is to win now.

Make the jump and we'll fire off Q and A from The D. And we'll start things off in the unsettled ninth inning . . .

In medias res (USAT)

For the last decade or so, Michael Salfino and Scott Pianowski have been putting together an email exchange centered around (but not limited to) the NFL. You might enjoy listening to them haggle. You might prefer a swift kick into the stomach. The Table isn't for everyone; we hope some of you enjoy it.

From: Michael Salfino
Date: Tue, Jan 29, 2013 at 9:31 AM
Subject: Super Breakfast
To: scott pianowski

We're just days away from the big day where the question the nation is asking will finally be answered: Will Jay-Z appear at halftime with Beyonce?

And there's a game, too, I guess. I did not expect a Ravens vs. 49ers Super Bowl, by any stretch. Not after San Francisco was hammered by the Seahawks and even pushed in Week 17 for a while by the Cardinals. And not when the Ravens were just spiraling out of control in December. I mean, this as a defense that couldn't figure out a way to stop Charlie Batch and Kirk Cousins.

I have to say I was wrong about the Colin Kaepernick gambit by Jim Harbaugh. There's no denying he gives them explosiveness without sacrificing much consistency. He hasn't been boom and bust like most running quarterbacks. But there are ways to stop him. You just have to go to the Seahawks tape. Of course, you need corners who can play press coverage and provide run support. Does Baltimore fit that bill? Yes, Kaepernick throws it well, too. But if you take away the easy reads/big plays by containing his run option, he struggles to move the chains. The Rams bottled him up pretty well, too.

And what about the 49ers defense? Do that have what is needed to stop the suddenly hot Joe Flacco? I thought the San Francisco pass defense looked pretty abysmal against the Falcons and the Ravens have similar personnel, though everyone (quarterback, wide receivers, tight end) is a little worse. The Baltimore backs are much better however. And the Ravens made a key change, too, in firing their offensive coordinator. Big moves like this are unheard of from a Super Bowl team. And here we have two teams who made them and who also had very little (if any) late season momentum. But they both have their mojo working now. Let's break this sucker down. Super Bowl Breakfast is served.

Another Garden Party wraps up (USAT)The first in-season Shuffle Up is a tricky assignment in any sport, any season. While we don't want to be knee-jerk reactionaries with respect to the early action, we don't want to be late to early-season trends, either. What's real and what's mirage? These are the questions that make a fantasy life worth living.

The stakes are raised in NHL 2013, looking at a condensed schedule and a microwaved season. If there's ever been a time to be aggressive with value changes, this is the year.

And of course goalies are the craziest and flakiest of all fantasy commodities. Yesterday's zero can be today's hero, and vice versa. A bad environment can sink a good netminder, while a strong defense can elevate a pedestrian keeper.

Your intelligent disagreement is most welcome in the comments, and if you win the debate, you might win the rank. But make sure you provide some reasoning for your disagreement, and a detailed explanation of how you'd change the listing. You can't merely say "Brodeur is too low" without suggesting what goalies ahead of him are too high. Respect the room, puckheads.

Let's try to figure this all out, gamers. Ranks are up first – extra comments will follow shortly. And I reserve the right to tweak this list as the day goes along. Enough preamble, let's get into character.

Even old New York was once New Amsterdam (USAT)

Forget about having Old Timer's Day once a season. With the 2013 New York Yankees, Old Timer's Day is every day. You might as well fill out the lineup card in Monument Park.

Many of the Bombers on this year's roster are players you know by heart, established brand names at the end of their careers. Rehabbing legends Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera are 38 and 43, respectively. Andy Pettitte is 40. Alex Rodriguez is 37. Hiroki Kuroda turns 38 in two weeks. Ichiro Suzuki is 39.

Heck, there isn't a primary infielder on the good side of 30. Mark Teixeira turns 33 in April, staring at a career crossroads. New acquisition Kevin Youkilis turns 34 in March (and runs like he's 54). Even Robinson Cano, the most bankable stud on the roster, is 30.

General Manager Brian Cashman realizes his team is in a transitional phase, and for once the Yankees didn't throw mad money at the problem. It's going to take a while for New York to cycle through all these aging stars and backloaded contracts. No one expects the 2013 Yankees to be a bad club, mind you, but you can make a case for New York being just another team in the AL East this year. Toronto's made a big winter move, of course; Baltimore is coming off a playoff appearance; Tampa Bay remains one of the deeper and smarter clubs around; and Boston probably can't be as bad as it was in 2012.

Heck, this could be just the second Yankees team in the Jeter Era to miss the playoffs entirely. It's in play. We're on uncomfortable ground here. Let's try to sort it all out, PQ style . . .

Hab or Hab not? (USAT)One size never fits all when it comes to fantasy pickup advice. If we go with the well-established names around the 50-percent ownership tag, we're sure to hear "long gone" refrains from the Yahoo! readers. If we go too deep with the recommendations, we're likely to hear "why would I want those scrubs on my team?"

It is what it is. Today's assignment is deep league pickups, so go ahead and throw these players under the Zamboni if that's what you do. Sometimes we're going to focus on deeper league with these columns.

Here are five possible tire-kicks in those challenging, deeper pools:

-- Nazem Kadri, C, Leafs (two-percent owned in Yahoo!): Kadri didn't do a lot in his first two go-rounds in Toronto, but we're still talking about a first-round pick (seventh overall in 2009) who's only 22 years old. He's registered a point in every game this year (and goals in three of his four starts), and he piled up six shots on goal in the Islanders loss on Thursday. Currently he's been a staple on the team's second power-play unit, but an increase in work there wouldn't be a surprise. This looks like a young, talented player blossoming in his third year.

-- Raphael Diaz, D, Canadiens (one percent): The Habs are holding firm in their standoff with holdout P.K. Subban, and the fine play of blueliners like Diaz are making it an easy decision. Diaz has collected five assists in the opening week, with three of them coming during PP time. Diaz cut his teeth during nine years of play in Switzerland (he's 27 now), and he didn't look out of place last year in a 59-game NHL trial. He's firmly entrenched as a Top 4 defenseman in Montreal, and one of the regular options on the power play. He'll never be a star, but smart puck movers will always have a role in this league.

Jimmy Howard faces the music (USAT)

When it comes to fantasy netminders, environment is a gigantic part of the equation. An ordinary goalie can turn into roto gold if the right defense is protecting him, while a rock-solid puck stopper sometimes has his fantasy value torpedoed by a sketchy defense.

For most of Jimmy Howard's professional life, he's had a cushy setup. He's not going to enjoy that in 2013. Detroit's blue line is a mess right now.

When Howard inherited the gig for the 2009-10 season, the Red Wings were overflowing with quality defensemen. Nicklas Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski were still going strong, with Niklas Kronwall the emerging new talent. A deep group of two-way forwards also made Howard's life easier. That 2009-10 Red Wings team outshot its opponents by over six chances per game. The roster slowly started to turn over in the next two seasons, but Howard still had an envious life by NHL standards.

Fast forward to the present, where the Red Wings are off to a messy 1-2 start, allowing 11 goals and 101 shots. Howard faced so many breakaways in the opening-night 6-0 loss at St. Louis, the game started to look like Mini 1-on-1. The team's play wasn't that clean at Columbus either, though the Red Wings stole a 4-3 victory in a shootout. Howard played well in Tuesday's loss to Dallas, stopping 30 of 32 attempts. To be fair, Kari Lehtonen (40 saves) stole that game for the Stars.

Lidstrom (first year of retirement) and Rafalski (second year) aren't walking through that door, obviously. Kronwall is solid as Detroit's No. 1 defenseman, not that he's ever going to be in the Norris Trophy discussion. Ian White and Carlo Colaiacovo are both out indefinitely. Jonathan Ericsson is dinged up. Kyle Quincey remains a pylon on ice (Vladimir Tarasenko spun him like a top over the weekend). If you can skate backwards and live in the greater Detroit area, stop by Joe Louis Arena sometime – and bring your gear.

Sign in, Clevelanders (USAT)

The Cleveland Indians haven't made the playoffs since 2007 and that was their last winning record as well. It could be a few years before a foundation is in place that can seriously contend. But we'll say this for the Cleveland front office, it's not afraid to go forward with a new plan.

The Indians tried the contact route on offense in 2012 and weren't happy with the results. Despite being the third-hardest team to strike out last summer, Cleveland finished a paltry 22nd in the majors in runs. Only the Mariners had a lower American League slugging percentage. And when you combine a pop-gun offense with probably the worst pitching staff in the AL (4.79 ERA, 4.39 xFIP), you're not going anywhere. Call it a season up in smoke, 68 measly victories and a .420 winning percentage.

This time around, the Indians don't care if their hitters swing and miss regularly. The Hack Attack is in. New additions Mark Reynolds, Drew Stubbs and Nick Swisher will all do their share of courtesy air conditioning during the hot months, but they'll also clout some balls into the seats. Not satisfied with last year's outcome, the 2013 Indians now focus on the Three True Outcomes.

Alas, there hasn't been much added to the pitching staff, so it's hard to see this group sneaking into the AL Central race. If new manager Terry Francona can pilot this team into the top three in the division, he's probably done a fine job.

Now it's time to mind the Ps and Qs and go under the hood on a few players and situations. Please bang along with your own drum, keep pace with us.

Here I am now, entertain me (USAT)My rule with early season fantasy pickups has always been a simple one: be aggressive. When plausible upside presents itself, don't wait around for proof. The bottom 15-25 percent of your roster should be in a constant cycle. You don't have to hit for a high average to make it worthwhile, provided a couple of the clicks become significant contributors.

With that in mind, let's talk about a couple of rookies who jumped off the screen during Saturday's opening slate of NHL action. Come on down, Vladimir Tarasenko and Jonathan Huberdeau.

There were plenty of standouts in St. Louis as the Blues convincingly dispatched the Red Wings 6-0, but Tarasenko was deserving of No. 1 star honors. He scored a pair of goals and both of them went straight to the highlight tape. See for yourself: here's Tarasenko getting past the Detroit defense, then beating Jimmy Howard with a perfect shot to the stick side, and here's Tarasenko twisting Kyle Quincey into a pretzel, then finding the top shelf. (Quincey was also beaten on the first goal, unable to corral Ian Cole's heady stretch pass. It might be a long year on the Detroit blue line.)

The Blues obviously think a lot of Tarasenko, a 21-year-old right wing. He was the 16th overall pick in the 2010 draft, and he's opening the year on the second line, skating with established forwards Andy McDonald and Alex Steen. He's also receiving liberal power-play time (the second goal came on the man advantage). Tarasenko posted a 14-17-31 line in 31 KHL games this winter before the NHL finally opened shop.