Fantasy Hockey Special: Forwards

We're at the end of October the suprises thus far in the Hockey world are abundant. Patrick Sharp leads the league in goals, the Michael Liles has 11 assists, and Tim Thomas has an UNREAL 6-0 record stopping 182 of 185 shots. Every one of these guys will be fantasy mainstays this season, though none are likely to keep up that pace. Let's take a look at some forwards that are worth noting thus far.

11/1 NBA Recap: Erden Alert?

Another slow night in the NBA, as there were only three games going on. Without further ado:

In the night's first game, the Chicago Bulls defeated the Portland Trailblazers 110-98. Luol Deng led the Bulls with a career high 40 points. This team is going to be lethal once Carlos Boozer returns. They have young studs in Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, and Taj Gibson (who will most likely be relegated to 6th man once Boozer does return) along with a solid forward in Deng, proving himself to be a formidable scorer after last night's performance. I already predicted this team to easily take the Central, but they could be a force down the stretch barring injuries.

In the second game, the Sacremento Kings manhandled Andrea Bargnani's Raptors. Yeah, the Raptors are now Bargnani's team. The good news about that: he put up 28 points last night, pushing his ppg so far this season to 23.7. The bad news? He averages only 3 rebounds per game, and I'm pretty sure he's the center. This was Bargnani's main concern going into the league; he was too soft, and couldn't hold his own in the paint. While his ppg numbers are very good, he needs to improve his career 4.8 rpg in order to give this Raptors team a chance after Chris Bosh and Hedo Turkoglu's departure.

Rangers No Match for Giants

There's actually a solid chance you didn't even know the World Series clinching game occurred tonight, because ESPN is far more infatuated with the Randy Moss story that hasn't even officially happened yet, Monday Night Football, the Vikings, Favre, and I might as well just include LeBron because normally that's the case as well. But the most significant event in the sports world tonight, regardless of what the media is choosing as their hot topic, was the pure domination of Tim Lincecum and the San Francisco Giants, who won their first World Series title since 1954.

Introducing Ultimate Boston Pro Shop

You've probably always wanted to rock some Ultimate Boston apparel to show all your friends and make others aware of the site, haven't you? Well, luckily for you, the solution has arrived at long last. It's time to visit the Ultimate Boston Pro Shop, which can now be accessed from the top menu on the blog (don't worry, the Fantasy link has just been moved into the Stories section). You can browse through the Men's section, the Women's section, and much more. There's the fancy clothing for those with money to spend, and there's the cheap clothing if you just want a tee to show your Ultimate Boston pride! So hurry over there and check out our pro shop so you can put together the ultimate outfit.

Fantasy Basketball: Be Weary

Stepping away from my daily NBA Recaps, I decided to do some articles on fantasy basketball. In some further installments, I may look at sleepers and obvious picks, but today, I'm going to instruct you on players you should be weary of when picking in a fantasy draft. Here are four players you should avoid drafting too early:

Chris Bosh, PF- Pretty much a given at this point. He won't be scoring as much with LeBron James and Dwayne Wade on his team. In Toronto, he was the guy, and could run rampart with scoring, as there were really no other viable options. However, James and Wade are better scorers, and like to have the rock in their hands. Plus, Bosh has been somewhat unimpressive so far this season, so I wouldn't pick him as early as you might have in the last few years. Still a late second/early third round pick.

Vikings Cut Randy Moss

I guess the post-game admiration of his old Patriots and the subtle mockery of the Minnesota Vikings was too much for Randy Moss to admit. The Vikings ended a brief, awfully failed experiment today when they released their freakily athletic receiver. That's right, you read that correctly. After just four weeks, the Minnesota Vikings have released Randy Moss.

10/31 NBA Recap: Bobbing for Wins

It was Halloween last night, and some of the NBA's brightest stars treated their fans with some great plays.

I really like Utah's new color scheme. I also like Utah's new team. They got their first win last night against the (formerly) undefeated Thunder. Former Celtic Al Jefferson is proving to be a dominant big man in the NBA (I have to keep reminding myself that trading him got the Celtics a championship. But still...), putting up 23 points and 10 rebounds last night. But the biggest of the big men last night was Paul Millsap, putting up 30 points and 16 rebounds. Deron Williams had a double-double too (19 points, 16 assists. ) I'm pretty sure that the Utah Jazz just went trick-or-treating, saw a bowl of double-doubles that said "TAKE JUST 1", and helped themselves to three. As impressive as those numbers are, they still pale in comparison to Gordon Hayward's flawless 10 in rootforability. Plus, he's a lock to win the annual "bobbing for apples" contest the Western Conference holds every year (Note: I may have made that contest up.)

Randy Professes Love for Pats

After today's loss to the New England Patriots, Randy Moss took the podium in front of the media and delivered a shocking, powerful message in regards to the team that he spent three-plus years playing for. You have to wonder if it has been a wake-up call for Moss, who left a true championship-style team to find himself at 2-5 with a questionable quarterback situation on a Minnesota team that is tied for last in their division with the Detroit Lions. I mean, I figured he'd miss having Brady throw him the ball. I figured he'd miss some aspects of that championship essence in the locker room, the essence of one of the greatest coaches in NFL history. But needless to say, I didn't expect to see comments this powerful out of #84 on the heels of his return to Gillette Stadium. If you haven't seen them, you must read on.

No Tricks, All Treats for Pats

On a chilly Halloween Sunday in New England, the Patriots welcomed the Minnesota Vikings to town looking to move to 6-1 on the season. The talk may have been about Brett Favre all week (and all month, and all year, and all decade...), but that didn't phase Bill Belichick and his ever-focused group of Patriots. Trick or treat? In typical Pats fashion, there were few tricks in an all-around treat of an effort.

10/30 NBA Recap: Heat-Free Zone

While the Celtics had a night off on 10/30, there were plenty of other games that you could follow online while the Celtics rested. That's because there was only one game airing, and it was on NBA TV, a channel I don't get. So I was relegated to scouring box scores on the Antichrist of the sports world, ESPN, for some ideas. Anyway, here's today's NBA recap.

Brandon Jennings pulled off his first career triple-double last night, putting up 20 points, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds. We are without question entering a PG-dominated era, after big guys like Shaq, Tim Duncan, and Kevin Garnett dominated the face of the league the last decade. Now, it seems like the smaller guys are getting more acclaim, like Derrick Rose (who put up 31 last night), Rajon Rondo, Deron Williams, CP3, Russell Westbrook, and Jennings. Jennings is proving to naysayers at the 2009 NBA Draft that he deserved to be a lottery pick, after many questioned his maturity after a stay in Italy. Do you think Memphis wants the Hasheem Thabeet pick back?