Egypt FIFA World Cup Preview

Egypt comes into Group A with possibly a massive advantage as they approach Group A with a chance to move onto the final 16.

In Group E of the Africa region, Egypt ended up winning the group with 13 points beating out 2nd Uganda, 3rd Ghana and 4th Congo. They had a strong qualification scoring 6 goals. Salah alone scored 5 of them.

Head Coach/Manager: Hector Cuper, former Argentine center back with management experience from across the globe. His management style is more defensive, which doesn’t usually bode well with teams of less quality. It’s basically the opposite of Jurgen Klopp’s management style, so this Word Cup might be the test of Mo Salah’s true quality.

Group Matches:

6/15 8 AM Uruguay

6/19 2 PM Russia

6/25 10 AM Saudi Arabia

Notable Players:

Mohamed Salah: I mean you saw this coming right? The hottest player in the world having the season of a lifetime in his first year at Liverpool. He has proven impossible to stop to anyone and has been a menace with his skilled dribbling, speed, and a killer left foot. Salah has been a part of a massive team effort from his mates at the front 3 including Roberto Firmino (Brazil), and Sadio Mane (Senegal). Part of Liverpool’s successes and eventual run to the Champions League Final, also go to the purchase of Virgil van Dijk, who has provided great defensive organization, and you can point to the improvement of the young ones, like Trent Alexander-Arnold at RB and Andrew Robertson at LB. But the main piece of the puzzle, is Salah who has scored 43 goals in 50 appearances. This man is a lethal injection to any defense and a man to be feared at the World Cup.

Mohamed Elneny: Central midfielder who plays for Arsenal and is usually on the defensive side of the ball. He won’t score goals, but he’ll be a rock in front of the center backs. He’s not entirely to blame for Arsenal’s poor defensive record, that’s mostly on players like Xhaka and Mustafi. Elneny can usually hold is own and he will prove to be vital for Cuper’s system to work.

How Far Can They Go?

I see Egypt making the round of 16. Egypt doesn’t seem probable for a run deeper than the round of 16 but crazier things have happened, like Costa Rica in 2014. I expect them to at least beat Saudi Arabia and ether win or draw vs Russia and Uruguay. If you want a long shot underdog, then look no further.

Saudi Arabia World Cup Preview

Now let’s move onto the team that Russia faces on the first day, that team being Saudi Arabia. Probably the most unknown team, let’s look at how they qualified:

They finished 2nd in Group B for the Asian/Oceanic regions, finishing ahead of Australia and behind Japan. Key wins over Thailand, Iraq and Japan was what carried them through.

Head Coach/Manager: Juan Antonio Pizzi, third coach within a year and former coach of the Chilean national team. Former Barcelona player, Pizzi will look to stay positive and do what he can with the squad. Don’t expect major differences or anything too crazy as Pizzi realizes he’s on a cooler seat. Expect build up play and aims to one of their highest scorers, Mohammad Al Sahlawi.

Group Matches:

6/14 11 AM vs Russia

6/20 11 AM vs Uruguay

6/25 10 AM vs Egypy

Notable Players:

Mohammad Al-Sahlawi- The 6th highest goal-scorer for the national team, Al-Sahlawi is a dominant force in the domestic league, playing for Al-Nassr. Eleven goals in twenty three apperances is a decent number and if they get the ball up to him, expect a goal or two

Osama Hawsawi- Captain of the Saudi Arabian squad with over 100 national appearances in his belt. A central defender for the domestic Al-Hilal, look for him to lead the squad from the center of the park.

Salem Al-Dawsari- One of the few players who doesn’t play in the domestic league, a winger for Villareal in La Liga. He can use his top league experience to hi advantage around lesser quality wing-backs. His dribbling and ball control skills should be vital in getting a move going.

How Far Can They Go?

Don’t cal me a hater but I don’t see Saudi Arabia winning a game here. Their best chance is Russia on Opening day, a hyped up and attack minded Russia. Next they’ll have a well-balanced Uruguay and they’ll have the good chance against Egypt, depending on how they play. They might sneak in a draw, but I see them getting knocked out with the home nation.

2018 World Cup Host Nation Preview

Group A headliners Russia are due to start off the big tournament vs Saudi Arabia on June 14th 2018. In eastern time, it starts at 11 AM. It’s the opening match on the opening day. It doesn’t matter if it’s Canada vs American Samoa, the first match is always exciting.

So let’s learn more about our host nation, who didn’t have to go through a qualifying process.

Manager: Stanislav Cherchesov , managed Spartak Moscow and Dynamo Moscow so he’s known to be a domestic manager, was a goalkeeper in his playing days. He probably wan’t change much from the recently fired Slutsky. He has a preference for an attacking style which can prevail over a defensive style in tournaments like this.

Group Matches:

6/14 11 AM vs Saudi Arabia

6/19 2:00 PM vs Egypt

6/25 10:00 AM vs Uruguay

Notable Players:

Igor Akinfeev: Goalkeeper Captain for  the National Team and CSKA Moscow. Aged 32 years old and known for his leadership and consistency. A man who’s played at CSKA Moscow all his life and has also won 6 Russian Premier :League titles. He should come into this competition in good form.

Aleksandr Kokorin: Forward for Zenit St. Petersburg aged 27 he’s entering the plateau of his career at the perfect time. This year, he scored 18 goals in 27 apperances. Given that the Russian Premier league is rather tough and in his group, his toughest defender to face is Diego Godin, expect Kokorin to knock in a goal or two in front of the home fans.

Artem Dzyuba: Forward on loan for Arsenal Tula in the Russian Premier League. He’s been on the decline at Zenit St. Petersburg so his starting spot and squad spot is up in the air.

Roman Neustadter: Defensive Midfielder/ Center-Back at the age of 30 is one of the few players who doesn’t play for a domestic club, who actually plays for Fenerbahce in Turkey. Who was previously on the German National Team, he switched to the Russian team in 2016. Known for his Schalke days from 2012-2016, he is the strongest central defender on the team.

How Far Can They Go?

I honestly don’t see Russia going past the group stage in this tournament. I do see them defeating Saudi Arabia but vs an underrated Egypt team with the hottest player in the world, I see them getting a draw at best. That and in their final game, in terms of quality, Uruguay is easily better than Russia and is a team that could go deep. They won’t embarrass themselves as I see them rocking the country on Opening Day, but that’s as far as they’ll go.

 

American League Playoff Picks

ALDS: 1 Red Sox vs Wild Card Angels

Here I don’t see much of a fight from the Angels, I think the Angels are going to get smacked around here. And really I see the starting rotation of the Red Sox becoming the stars here. This result could depend on the Angels finding a closer but I see the final end result staying the same. I think Sale, Porcello and Price in that order are enough to put the Angels out in 3 so I have Red Sox in 3

ALDS: 2 Astros vs 3 Indians

Now this is where it gets interesting. Two lineups filed with either All-Stars or future All-Stars, with the Astros lineup being slightly better in that regard. The Astros have a perfect blend of youth (Altuve, Springer, Correa) and experience (Reddick, Gonzalez, Gattis). The Indians have plenty of strength in the forms of Lindor and Ramirez but the losses of Jay Bruce and Carlos Santana, two seasoned veterans, may cause inconsistencies in the lineup. You don’t want inconsistencies to pop up with pitchers like Dallas Keuchel and Justin Verlander. I have the Astros in 4.

ALCS: 1 Red Sox vs 2 Astros

So who will face the (probably) Nationals in the World Series? Let’s start off with the fact that no matter what, this series will be 7 games long. This is essentially a mock Word Series, these teams are extremely good and extremely even as well. Great lineups, great bullpen and great starting rotation, it’s a battle of who can be the most perfect essentially. The Astros and the Red Sox in terms of starting lineup and defense are dead even. Both have excellent infields, especially in the middle infield (Pedey and Bogaerts vs Altuve and Correa) and they’re even in the outfield as well. But the Astros and their bullpen and starting rotation are just slightly better. The bullpen two some of Chris Devenski and Brad Peacock will, in my opinion, end up carrying the day and they will prove especially vital in a crucial game 7. The Astros in 7 to meet the Nationals

That Sean Manaea Guy Huh?

(Photo Credit to Fox Sports MLB, check out their Facebook!)

Yeah I’d say he’s pretty good too. Holy crap what a night the first no hitter in the season! Manaea had 10 K’s on the night vs the Boston Red Sox on what was a dominant performance. Not only that but he was #1 on the 5 hot pitchers on the waiver wire linked here: https://ultimatefanaticsblog.com/2018/04/08/5-great-pitchers-you-may-not-have-drafted/ 

Back at the time of posting, his ownership rate was 56.8% and to be fair, before the time of posting, he was on my personal team. Now his ownership rate is 80.5%, a 23.7% increase! Tonight, he scored 47 points with his complete game, 10 K no hitter. 47 points! Simply unreal!

Not only that, but he did it vs the Boston Red Sox, who came off of crushing the Angels and was on a major hot streak. Honestly, with this outing, you can plug and play with confidence. Hopefully he’s on your roster cause no he’s a hot commodity. Congratulations to Sean Manaea, For pushing your fantasy team and mine, and for the first no hitter of the season! Hopefully it’s the first of many.

Ultimate Fanatics Blog Update #2

Here listed below is an update to the blog.

Tomorrow there will be a post on who will represent the American League in the World Series. Then after that is a World Series Prediction, which I’m telling you right now, is not an easy prediction.

After that, I’m going to do something different. My next baseball post will be the power rankings for the month of April. But before then, lemme say that I am amped for the World Cup that starts in mid June. I will project the 23 man squads for each of the 32 teams competing and of course I’ll throw in some free analysis along the way.

You don’t have to even like soccer to enjoy the World Cup, it’s just that fun to watch. But it’s even more fun to read about! Follow my Twitter:@ufblogg_lijoi for the latest updates so keep an eye out!

AL East Predictions!

After my central predictions, it’s time to move onto the AL East. Now this post involves the certain New York Yankees and the certain Boston Red Sox. Now I follow two huge fans of either team and in real life I have plenty of Red Sox and Yankees fans alike. So what I’ll do is I’ll link both blogs into this prediction. Let’s see if they’ll duel it out!

Here’s the Yankee: https://nysportstalkrc.wordpress.com/

And here’s the Red Sox: https://yawkeyandlansdowne.com/

Both are great writers who publish very good content and I highly recommend digging into their content!

I also found another blog that covers all MLB news, possibly better than I do. Here is the link to his blog as well. As I said, check him out! If you like my blog, you’ll love his!

Link: https://doubledaydoubletalk.com/

Alright now let’s dive into these predictions!

1. Boston Red Sox

Additions: J.D Martinez

Departures: Addison Reed, Doug Fister

Yes this was a close one. Both the Red Sox and the Yankees are great teams. But I think the addition of Martinez is going to be huge for the Sox who needs one more ounce of run support and that’s exactly what they got. Of course losing a setup man to the Twins isn’t fun and J.D Martinez is all they got out of this offseason. Could they be saving up for Machado or Bryce Harper? Maybe even Josh Donaldson? Certainly that’s a question to consider. I think a bolstered offense is motivation for that rotation, a rotation that is wicked strong and can hold their own. We’ll see is David Price can be back to his Rays days this year and we’ll see if Chris Sale can put in another insane year that warrants a Cy Young award. I see the Red Sox taking it again, slightly.

2. New York Yankees

Additions: Giancarlo Stanton

Departures: Starlin Castro, Chase Headley, Michael Pineda

Sure Stanton is a big deal and the Yankees are going to be extremely compelling this year but they lost key role players and a rotation spot. Losing Starlin Castro leaves an open spot to be filled by a possible rookie next to Didi Gregorius, who I think is the Yankees most vital player. Nope not Judge or Stanton, it’s Didi who can make the Yankees a potentially World Series winning team if he can hit and play defense like he has been recently. He is the backbone of the team, kind of like a George Springer. Once he gets going, so does the team. What concerns my about the Yankees are two things: Sonny Gray and strikeouts. Gray has been average since being with the Yankees, posting a 3.70 ERA with a 5-7 record. Not bad, but the season can hinge on his improvement. Lastly, Stanton, Judge and Sanchez all have issues with striking out. Especially Stanton, who recently has been on a ring of strikeouts. Just controlling their strikeout rate and getting more contact can work in their favor. Give them a year to gel and they’ll win the division.

3. Toronto Blue Jays

Additions: Curtis Granderson, Aledmys Diaz, Yanghervis Solarte

Departures: 0

Getting role players like Granderson and Diaz should hold this team in the middle of the pack. They have a good rotation that can perform when it matters, guys like Stroman and a hopefully healthy Aaron Sanchez. Both pitchers can be dominant in their own right and they could save some wins for the Blue Jays in the long run. This could be the last year before the almighty rebuild because there is a high chance Josh Donaldson will leave. That’ll leave breakout star Justin Smoak all alone. Don’t expect much of a pop from this squad, but get ready for either a huge rebuild, or a weak attempt to keep Donaldson. If Donaldson stays, I would be very surprised.

4. Baltimore Orioles

 

Additions: Who?

Departures: Welington Castillo

This statue can be found at Ed Smith Stadium, the Spring Training home of the Baltimore Orioles in Sarasota, Florida! Pretty sweet huh? Sweet, sounds like the complete opposite of the Orioles this season. Get ready to say goodbye to Machado and hello to the rebuild because at this point it is simply inevitable. Without attempting to improve their squad, might as well call it for the rest of the year. But at least they won’t be as bad as the Rays. Yeahhhhh about the Rays.

5. Tampa Bay Rays

Additions: Denard Span

Departures: Evan Longoria, Brad Boxberger, Steve Cishek

This is the roof of Tropicana Field. Hopefully, since they are building a new stadium in Ybor City, this will be the last time the roof will be seen. The Rays logo does not deserve to see the light of day in my opinion (hehe light hehe ray hehe light humor, I crack myself up.) I personally don’t mind the Trop, it just sucks to be in an empty stadium. If Ybor can bring bodies to the stadium, I don’t care if we go 0-162, at least we can bring bodies in! You know what at one point I thought 0-162 was a possibility. Thankfully we beat the Red Sox once so I guess that’s an accomplishment. This sell off was absolutely meaningless and a slap in the face to all the fans, and YES WE HAVE FANS INCLUDING MYSELF!!!!! We just don’t show up sadly. And now there is no chance we’ll show up because we traded our best player ever for dirt and now we have no setup for Alex Colome. The only thing to get excited about is Kevin Kiermaier and possibly Brent Honeywell. Please for the love of God call that man up. Please! Else we’ll go to Montreal and I’d hate that. I grew up with this team, and to see it slip away because of off season’s like this is simply disheartening. We were close to a Wild Card spot last year! And now we just blow it up?! I guess some things I will never understand.

A.L Central Predictions!

After predicting and second guessing myself multiple times in predicting the National League, it’s time to jump into the American League. Specifically the American League Central Division which, like the N.L East, might be the most gimmie division in the Major Leagues. At #1, we got the:

1. Cleveland Indians

Additions: Yonder Alonso

Departures: Carlos Santana, Jay Bruce, Bryan Shaw

The Indians, like in the couple of years past, should take the AL Central with ease. The only concern the Indians have now is what happens in the playoffs. With their recent offseason, there is no denying that the Indians have significantly weakened, They lost two major run producers and a major setup man in the bullpen.That might bite them in the butt later on during the year when having a bullpen maters most.

2. Minnesota Twins

Additions: Michael Pineda, Addison Reed, Fernando Rodney

Departures: 0

Last year, the Twins completed arguably the biggest year to year turnaround. From a 100 plus loss season to a Wild Card team, the Twins are looking to move forward and possibly do better than last year, now that they know what to expect. The Twins added more pitching which was one of their weaknesses in years past and they added a closer, albeit a rather average one in Fernando Rodney. It’s still an improvement on the team last year. Expect the Twins to improve slightly this year, maybe win the Wild Card game. But they aren’t ready to take the division just yet.

3. Chicago White Sox

Additions: Welington Castillo, Joakim Soria, Miguel Gonzalez

Departures: 0

The White Sox have a good young core but they need at least a couple more years to mature and to gain new players as they continue to grow into a legit team. Yoan Moncada and Matt Davidson just being a few important parts of that young core. Adding a bullpen and a legit catcher in Castillo should be an improvement to the White Sox squad. All that’s left is an ace that can accompany Lucas Giolito and company. Not a full blown tank, but expect a .500 season for the Southsiders.

4. Detroit Tigers

Additions: Mike Fiers

Departures: Ian Kinsler

The trade of Justin Verlander has solidified what this Tigers franchise wants to do in the near future. Simply put, it’s rebuilding times for the Detroit Tigers. With their ace being Michael Fulmer, a young pitcher who has had a good career but has struggled with injuries as well and an aging Miguel Cabrera that signals the end of an era for the Tigers team that once made it to the World Series so long ago. Don’t expect anything special from the Tigers this season, at least not for a while.

5. Kansas City Royals

Additions: 0

Departures: Lorenzo Cain, Eric Hosmer, Mike Minor

And just like that, in one major sell off, the Royals are no more. The core that brought them to the World Series besides Salvador Perez is officially gone and within a few good year, they are right back to square one. The Royals will try to build off what they have on their roster for now, as it is a rebuilding season for Kansas City.

 

 

5 Great Pitchers You May Not Have Drafted

The first weekend of baseball usually won’t be like the rest of the season. Some of these players, like Mitch Haniger and Colin Moran, are having great starts to the season and the same goes for pitchers. Take it from a man that has won a fantasy league before. The league is won not by the draft, but from the WAIVER WIRE! Yes that’s right, the guys that weren’t drafted can impact the final result.

Again take it from me, I plucked Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Luis Severino from the waiver wire, they, and especially Judge, helped propel me to victory, especially in the playoffs.

This past week, there were actually some studs, like Kluber and Keuchel, who haven’t been performing to their usual standards. Now I’m not saying you should drop these guys, but these 5 guys are guys you should pick up right now, that should pay off in the very near future for your team. Now what qualifies as a sleeper in this post? Each player must have less than 60% ownership rate, according to the ESPN fantasy league ownership rating system. That means that if that percentage is less than 60%, then less than 60% of all fantasy leagues have that player on a team.

So with that being said, let’s dive right into it!

1. Sean Manaea- Oakland Athletics (ESPN Fantasy Own Rate- 56.8%)

Past 2 starts: 3/30 ( Loss) LAA- 7.1 IP (21 Pts) 4 K’s (4 pts) 1 ER ( -2 pts)= 22 pts, 4/4 TEX (Win) 8.0 IP, 7 K’s, 1 ER= 31 pts.

Manaea had two strong outings against two, to be fair, two teams that don’t have a very strong offense to show for. He also has his next start vs the Dodgers on Tuesday but this should play into his favor since the Dodgers have struggled with left handed pitching in recent years. Manaea is an expert at throwing strikes as well, throughout his two starts this year, he has allowed only one walk. There’s only two possible problems with Manaea, that certainly tainted his draft stock. First off, he plays for the Athletics, which just isn’t a good team, and his velocity isn’t all that impressive, but if you like his location and control, get him and get him now!

2. Ian Kennedy- Kansas City Royals ( ESPN Fantasy Own Rate: 7.4%)

Past 2 starts: 3/31 (No Decision) CWS 6.0 IP (18 pts) 5 K’s (5 Pts) 1 ER (-2 pts)- 21 pts, 4/7 (Win) CLE 6.0 IP 8 K’s 0 ER

Ian Kennedy dominated the Cleveland Indians offense on Saturday, that alone is reason enough to pluck him off the wire. Kennedy has also put up plenty of strikeouts in a short amount of time. He can strike batters out and he can give you at least 6 consistent innings. That is something you can’t take for granted going down the road. His next start is Thursday vs the Angels. Don’t be surprised if he drops off a little bit, but he is still a good streaming start as of now. Hopefully his excellent start will continue.

3. Mike Foltynewicz- Atlanta Braves (ESPN Fantasy Own Rate: 26.6%)

Past 2 starts: 3/30 (No Decision) PHI 5.0 IP (15 pts) 2 ER (-4 pts) 7 K’s (7pts)= 16 pts, 4/4 (Win) 5.1 IP 1 ER 8 K’s

Folty throughout the years has shown sparks of greatness but then has subsided to strains of mediocrity. It should be expected of him to have a much better season this year than in years past. Keep in mind he is hurling on a very hot Braves team that is sure to give him some run support in his next start vs the Nationals again this Tuesday. He quieted a strong Nationals lineup in his previous start, striking them out on command. If he can get anywhere close, and even if he can last a bit longer, like until the 6th inning, I’d see his value increasing steadily.

4. Tyler Skaggs- Los Angeles Angels (ESPN Fantasy Own Rate: 35.3 %)

Past 2 starts: 3/30 (Win, 5 pts) OAK 6.1 IP (19 pts) 0 ER 5 K’s (5 pts)= 29 pts, 4/4 (No Decision) CLE 4.2 IP 2 ER 5 K’s

There is a slight reason for concern in picking up Skaggs. He has had an injury history and it took him 103 pitches to get 14 outs in his past start against the Indians. Now even though he throws a lot and will be held back due to his injury history, Skaggs is still a pitcher that doesn’t allow a lot of runs.  Runs allowed knock off two points per run allowed in most fantasy scoring systems. skaggs and his ability to go strong for 5 to 6 innings, with a fairly decent Angels team, should be a good pickup for starts to come, especially for his upcoming start against the Texas Rangers.

5. Kyle Gibson- Minnesota Twins (ESPN Fantasy Own Rate: 22.4)

Past 2 starts: 3/31 (Win, 5 pts) BAL 6.0 IP (18 pts) 0 ER 6 K’s (6 pts)= 29 pts, 4/5 ( No Decision) SEA 4.1 IP 1 ER 3 K’s= 14 pts

In his first start of the season, Kyle Gibson carried a no hitter into the 7th inning vs the Orioles, until he was taken off the mound. Any performance over 25 points is certainly nothing to scoff at and it could have gone on longer. His second outing wasn’t as good, but it was still fairly decent. Sure you can judge him primarily off strikeouts but only allowing a single run in two games is quite the achievement. Gibson is due to take a step forward and hopefully pitch deeper into games if he can do what he has been doing and limit allowing home runs, which has dampened his stats throughout his career. He is facing the Astros this upcoming Wednesday, so stream with a sort of caution.