Y! Sports Blogs  - Brad Evans

Author: Brad Evans


  • Each week the Noise will guide desperate, deep-thinking owners into the dark corners of the waiver wire to mine a last-minute diamond. Turn on your helmet light and pack a pickaxe. We're digging for drop-jaw surprises owned in fewer than 10 percent or started in five percent or less of Yahoo! Plus leagues.

    When one reflects on the offerings of Montana, mountains, grizzly bears, microbrews and some slaughter at Little Bighorn immediately come to mind.

    However, the Treasure State also boasts quality football. The University of Montana Grizzlies have won two Division 1-AA national championships over the past 15 years and punched a ticket for the playoffs in 16 consecutive seasons.

    Though Montana isn't a pro football factory like perennial powerhouses Ohio State or Florida, it has produced its fair share of NFL talent, including current Miami Dolphin Lex Hilliard.

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  • Brad and Andy return live this week to answer your questions and discuss their flames, lames and deep names for Week 11. Submit your questions for a very special Wednesday night edition of the "Fantasy Freak Show" via email (Please include name/city) at freakshow670@yahoo.com.You can also dial the studio line starting at 8:30 PM PT/10:30 PM CT/11:30 PM ET at 312-644-6767 or text us at 67011. You can also follow the show, and the Noise, via Twitter.


    Each week the Noise highlights eight somewhat obscure, unobvious names who he believes are destined for flame madness or lame sadness. Being an accountability advocate, he will tally his hits and misses and post the results, whether genius or moronic, each week using the scoring system posted here.

    More Noise: Turkey T.O. Not Cooked Yet

    FLAMES (Started in 60 percent or fewer of Y! Plus leagues)

    Jay Cutler, Chi, QB (Noise QB Rank: 9, Start: All Leagues, 45% started)

    Matchup: at Min

    Barrages of poison-tipped darts have been blown at Cutler by the local and national media over the past few days. In their eyes, the Chicago fire of 1871 was less of a disaster. Everyone has donned their Freudian hats in an attempt to explain the quarterback's ungraceful, Grossmanesque downfall. Some have idiotically gone as far as calling him an "average player." The overthrows and misreads are entirely on No. 6 – mechanically he is certainly flawed – but without a suitable stable of receivers and even average offensive line, failure is hard to dodge. Many would say his matchup with Minnesota is less than desirable. Jared Allen and his QB harassing cohorts should have a field day. But the Vikings are susceptible to the pass. On the season they've allowed 258.3 passing yards and 1.4 touchdowns per contest to signal callers. More importantly, the Norsemen have picked off just one pass since Week 5. Cutler will be pestered. The running game will undoubtedly struggle. The Bears, who defensively are a mess, will likely be playing from behind. If the admonished passer can establish an early cadence and find Matt Forte in the flat, the cooker will depressurize, at least temporarily.

    Fearless Forecast: 28-48, 304 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception, 13 rushing yards, 23 fantasy points

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  • Brad and Andy return live this week to answer your questions and discuss their flames, lames and deep names for Week 11. Submit your questions for a very special Wednesday night edition of the "Fantasy Freak Show" via email (Please include name/city) at freakshow670@yahoo.com.You can also dial the studio line starting at 8:30 PM PT/10:30 PM CT/11:30 PM ET at 312-644-6767 or text us at 67011. You can also follow the show, and the Noise, via Twitter.


    On Wednesday, "Courage," a white turkey from Princeton, North Carolina, will be spared from Ted Washington's dinner plate in an annual ceremony conducted by the President. After receiving his pardon, the fortunate fowl will be whisked away to Disneyland where he will serve as grand marshal of the Thanksgiving Day parade before establishing permanent residence in Mickey's Frontierland.

    The flightless bastard simply doesn't deserve it.

    Most analysts unanimously agree he was placed in a situation any average bird could excel in – plentiful feed, ironclad fence, nourishing farming environment and, most importantly, a competent caretaker. Only products from USC come from more nurturing programs.

    This year's Most Valueless Turkey, Terrell Owens, unlike the emancipated gobbler, may not possess a fleshy wattle or be surrounded by ideal circumstances, but he's certainly a better candidate for a presidential pardon than the Butterball from NC.

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  • Each week the Noise will guide desperate, deep-thinking owners into the dark corners of the waiver wire to mine a last-minute diamond. Turn on your helmet light and pack a pickaxe. We're digging for drop-jaw surprises owned in fewer than 10 percent or started in five percent or less of Yahoo! Plus leagues.

    What a difference a year can make.

    This time last season, Antonio Bryant was on the precipice of a legendary fantasy playoff run. The journeyman receiver, whose troublemaking background had burned bridges in previous stints with the Cowboys, Browns and Niners, had finally matured mentally, unlocking his beastly talents. Through Week 10 he had already accumulated three 100-yard games and pierced the invisible pool twice. Undoubtedly, he was Jeff Garcia's most reliable weapon.

    But after a career year, Bryant's '09 campaign has been marred by injury. Hampered by persistent knee swelling and pain, a repercussion of August surgery, the downcast wideout has played just six games, netting a per game average nearly half of what he finished with a season ago. But after being mass dropped several weeks ago, there's still time for the popular early-round pick to salvage his season. With Josh Freeman behind center and the Tampa defense an embarrassment, he should attract ample targets.

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  • Fri Nov 20, 2009 2:00 pm EST

    Fantasy Freak Show Episode XII

    http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/ept_sports_fantasy_experts__21/ept_sports_fantasy_experts-559287238-1258741833.jpg?ymKRHPCDoaelurNG

    In this week's expanded episode, Dokken rocked the house, Behrens licked random callers and the Noise temporarily lost consciousness after the Million Dollar Sleeper applied his patented finishing move.

    We were also kindly joined by Curb Your Enthusiasm's Jeff Garlin who forecasted a banner week for Devin Hester(notes) and repainted his sprawling Los Angeles estate Battle Red. A down week for the Texans and our next encounter with the comedian will definitely be a "Larry David moment." Punchlines about the Noise's prognostication skills are sure to flow freely (As if they didn't already).  

    Click. Consume. Purge. 

    Freak Show Opening Segment

    Freak Show Hour 1

    Freak Show Hour 2

    Bonus Time!

    Jeff Garlin Chat/Team Remodeling Project

    --

    Photo via Getty Images 

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  • Brad and Andy return live this week to answer your questions and discuss their flames, lames and deep names for Week 11. Submit your questions for Friday night's "Fantasy Freak Show" on The Score via email (Please include name/city) at freakshow670@yahoo.com.You can also dial the studio line starting at 8 PM PT/10 PM CT/11 PM ET (NOTE: We may air a half hour early tomorrow. Our broadcast will begin immediatelly following Northern Illinois hoops.) at 312-644-6767 or text us at 67011. You can also follow the show, and the Noise, via Twitter.


    Each week the Noise highlights eight somewhat obscure, unobvious names who he believes are destined for flame madness or lame sadness. Being an accountability advocate, he will tally his hits and misses and post the results, whether genius or moronic, each week using the scoring system posted here.

    More Noise: Choose Your Own LT Adventure

    FLAMES (Started in 60 percent or under of Y! Plus leagues)

    Josh Freeman, TB, QB (Noise QB Rank: 11, Start: 12-plus team leagues, 2% started)

    Matchup: vs. NO

    Scoreboards haven't spontaneously exploded in the rookie's presence, but in just two starts he's accomplished more than quarterbacks in destitute pigskin lands Oakland, Cleveland and Fitzpatrick Heights. Though he's completed just 50.8 percent of his attempts, Freeman has exhibited a fearless attitude. His smooth mechanics and astute pocket awareness point to Pro Bowl caliber seasons ahead. Over the past two weeks he's averaged a respectable 14.3 points per game in standard formats, netting 200.5 passing and 27.5 rushing yards per game with four touchdowns. That output could rise this week against a New Orleans defense minus starting corners Tracy Porter and Jabari Greer. Their absence combined with Tampa's defensive inefficiencies and the expected return of Antonio Bryant suggest Freeman could be leaned on heavily. The Saints have allowed 249.8 passing yards and five touchdowns to gunslingers since Week 6. A Shocker Special worthy performance just outside the QB top 10 is fathomable.

    Fearless Forecast: 19-33, 217 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception, 24 rushing yards, 19 fantasy points

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  • Follow the Noise on Twitter. Your questions, commments and verbal jabs are strongly encouraged.

    For LaDainian Tomlinson, unlike oldies but still goodies Ricky Williams and Thomas Jones, age has been a sorry traveling companion.

    General deterioration and a long history of exhaustive workloads haven't been kind to the future Canton honoree. Nagging injuries are more frequent. Sluggish gains, once the exception, are now the norm. And weekly appearances in the statistical top 10 are a rarity.

    Based on the 30-year-old's career-low 3.3 yards per carry average, it's clear the dominator has become the dominated. As a result, Vizio sales have plummeted, powder blue No. 21 jersey sales have stalled and owner ambivalence directed toward the popular first-round pick has increased.

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  • Each week the Noise will guide desperate, deep-thinking owners into the dark corners of the waiver wire to mine a last-minute diamond. Turn on your helmet light and pack a pickaxe. We're digging for drop-jaw surprises owned in less than 10 percent or started in five percent or less of Yahoo! Plus leagues.

    With the exception of Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City has been a post-apocalyptic wasteland for the fantasy masses. Matt Cassel has grossly underachieved. Larry Johnson, still lingering in football purgatory, was only valuable in leagues that scored for vitriolic Tweets. It seems point reserves have been controlled by rogue motorcycle gangs with an affinity for leather, Mohawks, sawed-off shotguns and Tina Turner.  

    Todd Haley's inaugural season in KC has been rocky, to say the least. The rookie head coach's high-powered spread-oriented offense imported from Arizona simply hasn't taken hold. Without a suitable offensive line, the humiliating running attack so often associated with previous Chiefs teams has also been nonexistent. Not fearful of the run, defenses have keyed the pass with considerable success. As a result, Haley's club has only bested Cleveland and Oakland in total offense averaging a pathetic 257.8 total yards per game.

    But with the Chiefs' Negative Nancy searching for employment, things are looking up for the offense, especially the rushing attack, at least temporarily. Whenever Oakland is in town supressing optimisim is difficult.

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  • Brad and Andy return live this week to answer your questions and discuss their flames, lames and deep names for Week 10. Submit your questions for Friday night's "Fantasy Freak Show" on The Score via email (Please include name/city) at freakshow670@yahoo.com.You can also dial the studio line starting at 8 PM PT/10 PM CT/11 PM ET at 312-644-6767 or text us at 67011. You can also follow the show, and the Noise, via Twitter.


    Each week the Noise highlights eight somewhat obscure, unobvious names who he believes are destined for flame madness or lame sadness. Being an accountability advocate, he will tally his hits and misses and post the results, whether genius or moronic, each week using the scoring system posted here.

    More Noise: Hightower, Arizona's desert oasis

    FLAMES (Started in fewer than 60 percent of Y! Plus leagues)

    Mark Sanchez, NYJ, QB (Noise QB Rank: 11, Start: 12-plus team leagues, 6% started)

    Matchup: vs. Jac

    For the anti-Leinart, vanilla tallies have been the norm this season. Six times he's failed to eclipse 175 passing yards in a game. He's also racked multiple scores in a contest just three times. But despite his unexciting contributions, the rookie, in vintage Namath style, is at least scoring sizable points with blonde beauties off the field. This week, Sanchez' on-the-field results could be equally spectacular. The Jaguars, caged repeatedly by opposing quarterbacks, have allowed 210.3 passing yards and eight touchdowns over their past four contests. Against the run they're even more deplorable. Due to their defensive shortcomings and the Jets' strength in the trenches, look for the Jags to overload the box, forcing Sanchez airborne. If he can establish an early rhythm, the former Trojan, fresh of the bye and with Jerricho Cotchery presumably at or near 100 percent, should plunge a shortsword into the heart of the tamable kitties.

    Fearless Forecast: 19-32, 231 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception, 10 rushing yards, 19 fantasy points

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  • Follow the Noise on Twitter. Your questions, commments and verbal jabs are strongly encouraged.

    Necessity never makes a good bargain, unless the purchase happens to be Tim Hightower.

    Drafted with significant indifference around pick 100 back in August, the bench add was supposed to be a stock in regression. Most who invested small coin in him hoped for only mediocre production. It was widely believed Beanie Wells, who many pundits tabbed as one of the rookies to target, would overtake the incumbent by midseason. But to most fanalysts' dismay, the Noise not included, Hightower has maintained a firm grip on the starting job.

    However, despite his steady contributions and prominent role in Arizona's explosive offense, the desert oasis unfairly continues to be disrespected.

    It's time for the general fantasy populace to remove the Beanie blinders.

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