NLL Insider

In case you can’t tell from the title, my team suffered its first loss of the season, as I’m sure plenty of others did as well.

But don’t get all frowny and teary eyed just yet. It’s only Week 3 of fantasy, and there’s plenty that can be done to ensure that this travesty doesn’t happen to you ever again.

First and foremost, if you’re not scavenging the waiver wire each week, you’re not doing yourself any favors. It’s super easy, and hardly anyone else in your league is probably doing it.

If you don’t want to invest a ton of time searching through every teams’ weekly stat totals, all you have to do is click the See Free Agent Scoring Lists button once you click into the Free Agents link on your team page.

From there, all you do is set the players that you’d like to dump in the order that you want to kick them to the curb, and do the same for the players you heart most. After Monday’s Free Agent Draft, “Unsigned” players are available for your drop of hat desires.

Additionally, you need to be looking at viable trade options.

Because fantasy lacrosse is much different than most other fantasy sports, trades are quite a bit different as well. Instead of trading a quarterback for a defense and second running back, or a center for two shooting guards, in most cases, you will be trading forward(s) for forward(s).

So the best thing you can really do is to just play off of one of your opponents’ weakness for a particular player or team and take them for all they are worth. What did you think I was gonna’ say – ‘You should look for the fairest deal’?

Pass on that. You should attempt to prey on your competitors’ vulnerabilities, and improve your own standing whenever possible.

If you know that someone especially likes players on Rochester’s roster, see if you can’t strike up a deal that hurts their lineup and benefits yours. Hey, I know it’s brutish, but you gotta’ do what you gotta’ do to find your way to the most W’s.

For example, guys to be looking at currently in trades are Calgary’s Tracey Kelusky, Colorado’s Jamie Shewchuk and perhaps Minnesota’s Mike Hominuck. These are all players that have underperformed to expectations for various reasons and are good buy-low kind of players. I could totally see someone getting an itchy trigger finger with Kelusky because of the injury, and I think he’s a risk worth taking.

In contrast, by my estimations, players that you should be looking to unload in sell-high fashion are Chicago’s Callum Crawford, Minnesota’s Dean Hill and San Jose’s Cam Sedgwick. These are guys that have conceivably been overvalued due to their starts, but they could all have large falls from grace based on their upcoming schedules, previous years’ stats, etc.

So give these two options a significant look over before you completely pack up shop with your (0-2) start.

The Insiders League:

Early leaders in our league are Lauren Ward and her Check Republic in the West (2-0, 45 PF and 41 PA), and Paul Tutka’s Van Buren Boys in the East (2-0, 38 PF and 22 PA). And almost as if it were fate, the two play each other in Fantasy Week 3 to settle who will be the current King of the Mountain. Should be a good one. I’ll take Tutka by 3.

To get to their perfect status, Lauren ended my Isotopes’ one-week undefeated streak, 21-18, while Tutka took down the clueless Bob Chavez and his attempt at Faceoff Theft, 21-11.

Better luck next week Bob. Oh wait, scratch that, I play him. Err, Bob, did you hear that Dawson and Derek Malawsky quit the team and moved back to Glendale?

In other league news, Shanny was beaten by John Jiloty to keep him winless, 21-19. Jiloty and the Colemans move to (1-1). And bringing up the rear, Ted Jenner and his dedication to Mammoth coach Bob McMahon’s throwback of the puffed Jheri Curl, fell to Chris Hall, also by a score of 21-19.

Best Smack Talk of the Weak: Smack Talk was pretty pathetic in our league this week, thus the (hopefully brief) renaming of this section. Aside from a good pun from Lauren that involved threatening to produce a female-geared Insider site, titled www.nllinsidHer.com, I found nothing to be all that clever. Personally, I thought Lauren’s joke could easily be construed as a porn reference, but Jenner and Chavez got pretty excited, so I went with it. But with any luck, we’ll have something a bit better for you next week.

Studs:

Gavin Prout (COL): (2, 6) vs. Portland; (2, 5) vs. San Jose: (4, 11) 15 points:
Statistically speaking, Prout was the best player in the league in Weeks 4 and 5. He is the Mammoth’s unquestioned leader, and always a devastating offensive threat. His goal totals have slipped a little, but that’s because teams make a point to focus on him each week, in addition to the fact that he has other great scorers around him.

Scott Ranger (CGY): (2, 5) vs. San Jose; (3, 3) 9 LB vs. Portland: (5,8) 13 points:
Ranger is well on his way to his best career year in the league in only his fourth season. Kelusky’s absence has definitely benefited Ranger’s stats, but he has found his role on the solid Roughneck offense. Look for this to continue, especially with Kelusky’s timetable being pretty much unknown at this time.

Lewis Ratcliff (CGY): (2, 3) vs. San Jose; (3, 4) vs. Portland: (5, 7) 12 points:
The loss of Kelusky in the lineup has also significantly benefited Ratcliff, as he has taken on an even larger offensive role for the Roughnecks. His numbers against Portland show that he is certainly an elite scorer, as well as that the LumberJax are very weak. Don’t even think about pulling him from your lineup. He is the league’s second leading-scorer and tied with Athan Iannucci as the most productive, with his 7 points-per-game average.

Sean Pollock (MIN): (3, 6) vs. Rochester, GWG:
Pollack had a career game on his way to being named the NLL’s Week 5 Player of the Week. Can you imagine, he wasn’t even named the MVP in the win over Rochester! Pollock is just one of the many surprises on the extremely balanced upstart Swarm. In fact, if you’ve got any of their Top-6 forwards, feel free to start them at will.

Scott Evans (ROC): (6, 2) vs. Minnesota:
Evans was actually named the MVP of the game against Minnesota. It’s respectable to name a guy that went for 8 points, including a sock trick – a double hat trick for those of you that don’t know – in the losing effort. But c’mon, Pollock was the obvious choice. That said, Evans is on his way to having yet another great season.

Calgary Goaltenders (Ryan Avery): (38 Saves, 6 GAA) vs. Portland = 6.7 fantasy points:
With “Chugger” on the bench, Avery stepped into the starting role and made the most of it, being named the Goalie of the Week. Sure, Portland is arguably the worst team in the league with their plethora of offensive issues, but making 38 saves and allowing only 6 goals is impressive no matter who you play. Last I checked, Portland is still a professional franchise. So if you have the Roughnecks goaltending unit, consider Avery an insurance policy behind Dietrich.

Honorable Mention:

Dan Carey (COL): (3, 3) vs. Portland; (3, 2) vs. San Jose: (6, 5) 11 points

Brian Langtry (COL): (3, 2) vs. Portland; (1, 5) vs. San Jose: (4, 7) 11 points

Callum Crawford (CHI): (4, 4) vs. Edmonton

Ryan Boyle (NYT): (2, 5) vs. Toronto

Chris Gill (EDM): (4, 0) vs. Chicago

Duds:

Ben Prepchuk (EDM): (1, 1) vs. Chicago; (3, 6) thru 3 GP:
It’s not that Prepchuk is having a totally poor season. It’s that everyone had such high expectations of him upon his return home in the trade for Wulder with Colorado. To this point, the Mammoth are killing it on this lopsided deal. Until the lowly Rush hit their offensive stride – if that ever occurs – he should not be in your starting lineup.

Jeff Ratcliff (NYT): (2, 0) vs. Toronto; (2, 4) thru 3 GP:
Yes, he scored 2 goals against the Rock in Week 5, but 4 assists up to that point just isn’t going to get it done for you in fantasy.

John Christmas (PHI): (0, 1) vs. Buffalo; (0, 7) thru 3 GP:
Plenty of helpers, but those are almost meaningless unless you have a Top-10 assister, and Christmas isn’t even in the Top-20. The good news is that his numbers are already better than his previous two seasons, but until he scores his first goal of the season, bench him.

Start ‘Em:

AJ Shannon (EDM): (2, 3) vs. Chicago:
Shannon again appears healthy, and has his outside sniper shot back in effect for the Rush. Ranked second on the squad with 12 points (6, 6), aside from the leader Accursi, Shannon is a strong option because he has shown balance and a superb level of being consistent through Edmonton’s first-three games.

Jake Bergey (PHI): (4, 0) 10 LB vs. Buffalo, GWG:
The wily veteran notched 5 fantasy points in the win against Buffalo. Aside from Brian Shanahan in our league, hardly anyone even had this guy on their radar – fantasy or not. Now in his 10th season, this may be his curtain call, but man is he a showman. With (12, 5) on the young season, Bergey has been nothing but a scoring machine. He may be a great sell high kind of player in a trade, but he is showing almost no rust.

(T) Jordan Hall (NYT): (3, 3) vs. Toronto:
Hall was thrust onto the center stage as the No. 1 overall selection in the entry draft – to New York no less – but all he has done is deliver. I don’t think he’ll end up with the Rookie of the Year nod, but he certainly still has his name in contention. He has earned himself my seal of approval as a legitimate start week in and week out, whatever that’s worth.

Colorado Goaltenders (Gee Nash): (29 Saves, 6 GAA) vs. San Jose = 3.7 fantasy points:
Together, Nash and Levis are maybe the best one-two punch in the league. I’ve said it before, and I’ll probably say it again, Levis could start almost anywhere else in the league. He had a phenomenal game against Portland in the first of the Mammoth’s two-game Week 5 stretch, which helped to set up Nash’s dominant performance. When healthy, I’m not sure that there’s anyone better in the league at that position than Nash.

Sit ‘Em:

Anybody not named Dawson or Malawsky on Portland’s roster:
Aside from these two Arizona transplants, the LumberJax offense has been atrocious. It seems as though the losses of former assistant captain Del Halladay to retirement and Kelly Hall to Calgary have been much more detrimental than once thought. It looks like it will be another long year for the ‘Jax.

Tracey Kelusky (CGY):IR:
Kelusky makes his second appearance on my Sit ‘Em list this season. I know that you can’t blame a guy for being injured, but if you took Kelusky as your first-round draft choice, he hasn’t done anything but disappoint so far this season. Plus, the after effects of a concussion are well documented (see: Jay Jalbert). Until he’s 100 percent and consistently back in the Roughneck lineup, sit him.

Sleepers:

Kelly Hall (CGY): (0, 3) vs. San Jose; (3, 1) vs. Portland: (3, 4) 7 points:
Hall, who didn’t play in the Roughnecks opener, has shown that he’s still got some pop left in his stick after the move from Portland. And from the looks of the ‘Jax sinking ship, he got out at the right time. He hasn’t quite shown that he’s consistent enough to garner an every week start, but he’s close. For now, if you can afford it, tuck him away on your bench as trade bait, or as a match-up based start at the least.

Scott Stewart (POR): (1, 4) vs. Colorado:
A year removed from a 40-point season with Minnesota, Stewart is on pace for similar final stats. Like Hall, he doesn’t quite deserve a start just yet, but if he continues on his current track, he could put up some decent numbers for the incorrigible LumberJax.

(T) Nolan Heavenor (CGY): (2, 2) vs. Portland:
Philly’s Geoff Snider won Week 5 transition player honors, but I guarantee that the selection committee was choosing between him and Heavenor. Calgary’s top transition man had his second 2-goal performance in 3 games played, and he looks great. If you need a solid changeover player, take a flyer on Heavenor and see if he pans out.

(D) Bill Greer (ROC): (3, 2) vs. Minnesota:
What a friggin’ stud! Aside from a goal in the K’Hawks first game against Buffalo, Greer had no points, and exploded in the loss to the Swarm with (3, 2). Don’t expect another game like this the rest of the season, but he’s worth a free agent claim in case this six-year vet turns into a reliable point producer.

Closing Notes:

If you have any questions, comments or want to tell me about the sweet trade you just pulled off, e-mail me at: nllfantasyinsider@nllinsider.com. Please include your name and location because the best messages will be published in next week’s Fantasy Insider column.

That’s a wrap! Best of luck to you all (except Chavez), and talk at you next Thursday.

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