Over the last 4 weeks of the 2013 NFL season one player sits comfortably at #1 in fantasy points with 91 and that player is Carolina Panthers QB Cam Newton. Coming in at # 4 with 77 points is Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford. Both QB’s have been great fantasy football players until this point (week 10) of the 2013 NFL season.

Cam Newton got off to a slow start and while the Panthers seemed to be heading down the road of another underachieving season and a fired head coach, Newton did manage to keep his fantasy numbers a float. That all changed in week 3 in a game against the Giants which Cam led his Panthers to a 38-0 victory and the team has been on a role ever since. Since that break out game the Panthers are 4 and 1 and Cam Newton has been near the top of the league in fantasy points every week except 1 (week 5 @ Cardinals).

With all of that said, it would be silly to suggest benching Cam at this point of the season, however with a game coming up against the high powered defense of the 49ers in San Francisco which requires a West Coast trip it’s going to be hard for Cam to “keep up the good work”. Regardless of the match up, I still think Cam is a better option than most QB’s, so unless you have a Romo or a Manning in a backup role, I say start Cam.

Much like Cam Newton Lions QB Matthew Stafford has been a dynamic fantasy football player this season. Who could forget the near record breaking Sunday Stafford hooked up with Megatron (Calvin Johnson) for over 320 yards. As long as Clavin Johnson is in the lineup, and Reggie Bush is available to take 1 yard screen passes 65 yards on any given play Stafford is a no brainer to start as your teams QB.

However, also much like Cam Newton, Stafford will have his hands full in week 10 against their long time division rivals, the ball hawking defense of the Chicago Bears. The Bears QB Jay Cutler won’t play in this game and that can actually negatively affect Stafford’s fantasy points. This may be over thinking the situation, but it does make sense, check it out;

With Cutler out the Bears may have a hard time scoring points. They were okay in week 9 but it was still obvious it’s NOT the same offense without Cutler. Now, keeping that in mind it’s not unlikely Detroit jumps out to an early lead and if that’s the case, they may be looking to run the ball more on a Chicago defense that’s much better against the pass than they are the rush.

So with that said, should you start Stafford in week 10?

The Rotoguys say NO, we think you’d be better served with a 2^nd tier fantasy QB against a Bears team with a crippled offense and a strong pass defense.

Every year in fantasy there are guys who get snatched up as soon as possible. Those guys will help your team make the playoffs and give you good reason to make fun of all your friends. At the same time there are certain players that couldn’t possibly ruin a fantasy team any more.

Whether it’s big name guys that just won’t get it done, or simply players who are producing well below their expected levels, these are the guys to stay away from in fantasy hockey this year.

Right at the top of the list is Philadelphia Flyers captain Claude Giroux. Yes, the same guy who graced the cover of ‘NHL 13’ and was seemingly the next big thing to help Canada’s Olympic team this coming February. Part of Giroux’s slump can be attributed to the Flyers’ absolutely terrible start to the season, but only to a certain extent. Giroux just isn’t scoring. He’s got 7 assists and ZERO goals after 14 games played, and considering he is owned in 100% of ESPN fantasy leagues… it might be time to dump him off to the Flyers fan in your league.

Speaking of Philly, gritty left winger Scott Hartnell is also not having his best season so far. With only 1 goal and no assists, Hartnell is hardly the offensive force he’s been in recent seasons. Pretty much as we’ll continue to see below, just stay away from the Flyers this year unless they make a complete 180 and start winning.

Another big name that’s having a rather rough season is Boston’s Brad Marchand. The pesky forward is always around the net and manages to put pucks in the net, but that’s not the case this year. In 14 games Marchand has a grand total of four points – including only one goal. While Boston is a solid team that will pile on the wins, this could just not be Marchand’s year.

Moving back to the blue line, it’s tough to get on the case of the defensemen about scoring, but this is fantasy hockey – that’s what it’s all about. Here are some defenders who are not going to help your fantasy lineup very much. Sergei Gonchar, with zero goals and one assist, is having a terrible year. If you’re going to argue for a defender to rack up points it’s going to be Gonchar and he’s just not getting it done. Christian Ehrhoff (0 goals, 4 assists), Dennis Seidenberg (0, 4), Dan Boyle (2, 2) Zdeno Chara (2, 2) and Kris Letang (2, 1) are other defenders that are struggling so far.

Out of that group, I would keep an eye on Boyle and Letang to pick it up, but the others are guys on plenty of people’s fantasy teams that will just be frustrating all season long.

Finally we have the goaltenders. This is the smallest group of players in fantasy, but choosing the right guys can make your team a contender. That being said, holding on too tightly to the wrong netminder and you’ll find your team fading rather quickly. Three goalies are having exceptionally terrible seasons so far – New Jersey’s Corey Schneider (1 win, 4 losses), Buffalo’s Ryan Miller (2, 10) and Philadelphia’s Steve Mason (3, 7 – see above). All three of these goaltenders are working hard to bail out struggling teams and not many guys can thrive in that kind of position so avoid these goalies at all costs.

While it’s still early on in the season, you still want to avoid falling into too deep of a hole in fantasy. Avoid the guys above, try to trade them to their fans and pick up some sleepers or rising players. And remember, this season stay away from Philly!

As the 2013-2014 slowly progresses over its first week, most fantasy leagues have already began, too. At this point of the season, we can take a look at the fantasy basketball Top 12, even if you have already drafted your team. This rankings list can work as a guide for trades or to show you how you’ve done with the formation of your team. Let’s get straight into action and rank the Top 12 fantasy basketball players for this season according to the Rotoguys.

– LeBron James: It’s almost unnecessary to comment on why LeBron ranks first. With such big numbers in almost every category, LeBron beats all competition and is a lock for the No.1 spot.

– Kevin Durant: If there is one player that can get into the discussion about who the best basketball player in the world currently is, apart from LeBron, then Kevin Durant is the only candidate. Fantasy-wise he might even be better than LeBron and there are many fantasy owners who prefer him over the “King”. Either option can work.

– Kevin Love: Certainly one of the favorite players for fantasy owners. If Love can work his way back after his injury, he will definitely make fantasy owners happy this season. Look for him to score around 22 points and 14 rebounds.

– James Harden: The Houston Rockets acquired their own superstar last season. Harden, now playing with Dwight  Howard, is expected to produce no less. He is a great scorer and a stats sheet stuffer.

– Chris Paul: He might be the league’s leading assist man this season. He can also lead NBA in steals, as he did last season with 2.4 per game. Certainly a decent choice.

– Stephen Curry: Is anybody expecting less than an outstanding shooting performance from both, the floor and from the three-point range this season from Curry? This may be the season he can establish himself as the best shooter of his era.

– Kyrie Irving: Irving might have much potential to become even better as he gains experience. However, even now, he is a top-notch point guard.

– John Wall: Another promising point guard with lots of potential. When healthy, Wall can be dominant on the court. A favorite “Rotoguy”  sleeper pick.

– Paul George: With Danny Granger still out, George will definitely have more responsibilities on offense, just like he did last season. Look for him to improve even more this season.

– Derrick Rose: He looks to be as explosive as he was before his injury. However, Rose will most probably need some time to find his game once again.

– Serge Ibaka: One of the greatest shot-blockers of this era. He also has a jumper that goes down and therefore will play a big role in Oklahoma City Thunder’s offense this season.

– Anthony Davis: Davis is very versatile.  He can score, rebound, block shots and defend – all with great results. Certainly one of the best power forwards in the league.

Picking the right guys for your fantasy hockey team can be both simple and tricky at the same time. Do you try to target the big names? How about drafting an entire line of players in order to monopolize their points? Or maybe you try to go after those guys that others wouldn’t know about to really push over the edge. There are plenty of guys that can help your fantasy hockey team this year, but let’s take a look at the sleeper guys who will fall under the radar but really help your team throughout the season.

When looking for sleepers, you want to find guys that others won’t pinpoint right away, and a lot of the time that means youth. There are some really talented scoring machines who have only been around for a year or two, or are just entering the NHL this season. Right off the bat you have to look at Nazem Kadri of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Kadri has been making great strides to solidify his place on the Leafs’ roster, and has been creating excellent chemistry with star Phil Kessel. Kadri has the skill to be a top scorer in this league, especially with an offense as talented as Toronto’s.

Speaking of youth, how about looking at two rookies this year who are simply beasts. Obviously the guy taken first overall, Nathan MacKinnon, is going to get scouted by some folks, but as a rookie he’s sure to fall somewhat in your fantasy draft. MacKinnon is incredibly talented and will make a huge impact with the rising Avalanche. Ok, so the #1 pick is a guy to draft, but how about some other guys making their first real impact in the league?

Filip Forsberg on the Nashville Predators and Mark Schiefele have gained some experience since they were drafted and are sure to be impact players this season. They play on teams with a ton of talent around them and have some great teammates to learn from.

Moving to more veteran players, Mikhail Grabovski left the Maple Leafs in the offseason to play with Alex Ovechkin and company in Washington. Grabovski is a very talented player and scorer, and given his new supporting cast – there’s no doubt he’s going to shine this season. Players rack up points just by skating next to Ovechkin and Niklas Backstrom. Grab up Grabobski before someone else does… assuming people realize what he’s capable of.

Speaking of talented offensive teams you have to look at the San Jose Sharks and all they have to offer. Sure fantasy owners are going to target Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau, but what about Joe Pavelski and Brent Burns. Pavelski is an insanely talented and fiery forward who can score almost on demand playing with Marleau and Thornton. Burns is an awesome forward (with sick beard-growing capabilities) and he racks up huge +/- numbers which means he’s on the ice when his boys score. Get these two guys and you’re going places.

Ok, so we covered the skaters, how about some goalies? Without a doubt, Jonathan Bernier is a huge sleeper pick. Moving from the #2 position in Los Angeles to fight for a starting role in Toronto, Bernier is really talented and will help the Leafs fight for a playoff spot this year. He’s got the skills to be a #1 so ride him all season to make your fantasy team #1 too. Also, moving back to the Sharks, their goaltender Antti Niemi is a huge sleeper pick based on the fact that San Jose is known for their scoring. He’s got a ton of talent and is a major part in their success in recent seasons.

When putting a fantasy team together it’s not just about the stars – it’s about the glue guys to help your team seamless. Make sure to nab some of the above sleepers and you’ll be set all season. 

The 2013 NFL season has been one of many surprises for proud fantasy football team GM’s. There’s been a fair share positive performances that have come out of no where, and unfortunately, there’s also been some negatives from top notch fantasy football superstars.

For this article we’re going to discuss the negative. I plan on featuring a 1^st round bust, a 3^rd round bust and lastly a 5^th round bust to this point of the season. To put a potential round on a player can only be estimates, but I think most people will agree with my projections.

There’s no doubt Tom terrific (Tom Brady) is a 1st class 1^st round fantasy player. Until this season Brady has been on a streak of over 50 consecutive games with at least 1 touchdown pass. That streak has come to a sudden stop this season in what to this point could be considered a down year for the Patriots gunslinger. We’re only at the half way point of the season so I’m not ready to label Brady a bust just yet, but to this point, he certainly has not lived up to his full fantasy potential. However, because its only the half way point of the season, he is Tom Brady, and his patriots reside in the weak AFC East I wouldn’t push the panic button just yet. I would not look to deal Tom Brady, I may bench him if I have a good number 2 QB, but I’d keep him on my roster.

Another fantasy disappointment has been Baltimore Ravens RB Ray Rice. I projected Rice to be drafted around round 3 and until this point, he has not lived up (points wise) to a 3^rd round tail back. A hip injury early in the year, along with splitting time with up and coming running Bernard Pierce have seriously hampered Rice’s potential. Potential that is very high for a dual threat like Ray Rice, a back that can make as much noise in the passing game as he can in the running game. Still if I could make a good trade for Rice at this point in the season, I would jump on the opportunity to deal him.

Lastly, lets discuss a projected 5^th rounder in NY Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks. After an injury plagued year in 2012 Nicks was expected to burst on the scene as the high octane Giants passing game as the number 1 guy. With Victor Cruz lined up opposite Nicks, and Nicks in a contact year and playing for the big bucks, all signs pointed to a big year for the physical wide out. Sadly anyone that drafted Nicks is probably regretting it to this point. He’s yet to get in the end zone all year and he was completely shut out (no catches) against the Panthers which made him worth as much as a center for that week. But, even with all of that said, I wouldn’t deal Nicks just yet. The Giants defense is pretty bad which means they’ll most likely be behind a lot and that lends itself to them utilizing that down feild passing game of theirs. Unless a once Ina life time offer came along, I’d hang onto Nicks, at least a few more weeks.

It’s obvious fantasy football is a tricky business, some guys are winners but don’t put up big fantasy numbers (ie. Rothlisberger, E.Manning). On the other hand some guys choke in the big games but put up huge fantasy points (ie. Tony Romo). Despite the potential ups and downs of owning a fantasy football team, no one can argue its a lot of fun, and maybe best of all it makes those Thursday night games you normally wouldn’t care about, potentially a hoot to watch.