Author Archives: fammirantetfj

Three Bold Predictions (AFC) for the 2019 NFL Season

Frank Ammirante| Aug 21st, 2019

The NFL season is a wild roller-coaster ride filled with surprises. Last year, we saw Patrick Mahomes throw for 50 touchdowns and win NFL MVP in his first season. We witnessed star running back Le’ Veon Bell sat out the entire year. We also were surprised to see the Chicago Bears breakthrough in their first season with head coach Matt Nagy, going on to win the NFC North. This year, like every other season, we’ll see another assortment of unexpected events. Here are three bold predictions for the 2019 NFL season. Continue reading →

Fantasy Battle: Robby Anderson vs. Dante Pettis

Frank Ammirante | Aug 21st, 2019

Robby Anderson is the clear-cut number-one option for the New York Jets. He’s a great deep threat who started to develop chemistry with quarterback Sam Darnold towards the end of last season. He finished as the WR36 in PPR leagues last year. Anderson is currently being drafted as WR29 at 6.09 (Fantasy Football Calculator). Dante Pettis is expected to be the number-one target for the San Francisco 49ers. He started to really turn it on at the end of his rookie year. The sophomore out of Washington finished as the WR73 in PPR formats. Pettis is being selected as WR34 at 7.12 (Fantasy Football Calculator). Let’s determine the better option for 12-team PPR leagues. Continue reading →

State of MLB: Prospect Hoarding

Frank Ammirante Aug 9th, 2019

It has become a recurrent theme in trade negotiations between contending and rebuilding teams: “Prospect X is untouchable.” Teams have become increasingly reluctant to trade their top prospects in an effort to inch closer to a championship. Front offices are trying to do the same thing: construct a roster that is filled with young and talented players at below-market value contracts. This philosophy of risk-aversion, prospect accumulation, and player development is having a negative impact on Major League Baseball. Continue reading →

Players to Avoid: Christian McCaffrey

Frank Ammirante | July 30th, 2019

Dominance in 2018 High Expectations for 2019

Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey is a terrific all-purpose threat who can run between the tackles and take a screen pass to the end zone. He’s one of the best pass-catching backs in the NFL. McCaffrey broke out in a big way in 2018:

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Trade Deadline: Big Arms on the Block

Frank Ammirante| July 16th, 2019

This year’s trade deadline should be eventful because of the abundance of talented pitchers available on the market, such as Matt Boyd, Marcus Stroman, Robbie Ray, Zack Wheeler, Madison Bumgarner, and Noah Syndergaard. There are a number of contending teams seeking to improve their starting rotations, including the Yankees, Phillies, Braves, Twins, Dodgers, and Astros. Let’s take a look at their top prospects who could be the centerpieces of a deadline acquisition. Continue reading →

Fernando Tatis Jr. Is A Budding Superstar

Frank Ammirante | July 5th, 2019

Preseason Buzz

Coming into the 2019 season, there was a ton of hype surrounding a certain third-baseman, who was the twenty-year-old son of a Hall-of-Famer, playing for the Toronto Blue Jays. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was expected to come up and immediately tear the cover off the baseball. But the adjustment period has been slower than expected, as Vlad Jr. has taken some time to get used to major league pitching, slashing .248 AVG/.328 OBP/.416 SLG with 8 HR in 241 plate appearances. There was also hype around another twenty-year-old son of a former MLB player, but he was not expected to immediately produce, and there was talk that we might not even see him this season. Instead, Fernando Tatis Jr. has exceeded expectations with the look of a future superstar. Continue reading →

What Happened to Aaron Sanchez?

Frank Ammirante | July 3rd, 2019

Blockbuster Trades in 2012

Back in 2012, the Toronto Blue Jays had a trio of prized pitching prospects: Noah Syndergaard, Justin Nicolino, and Aaron Sanchez. Alex Anthopoulos, the general manager at the time, wanted to make a splash in the 2012 offseason, so he dealt Nicolino to the Marlins in a blockbuster deal involving a whopping 12 players, including Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, Josh Johnson, Yunel Escobar, and Anthony DeSclafani. Anthopoulos went on to trade Syndergaard along with catcher Travis D’Arnaud to the New York Mets for R.A. Dickey. Nicolino has been unable to stay in the majors and Syndergaard has become a top-flight starter who has struggled with injuries. The important aspect to consider with these two trades is that the Jays thought of Aaron Sanchez as the jewel of their farm system. They chose to use Syndergaard and Nicolino as trade currency and kept Sanchez as the future ace of their rotation. It’s clear that they viewed him as the best of the bunch. Continue reading →