Derek Anderson Resigns With Cleveland - Fantasy Future Looks Bright

The first day of the NFL free agent period has been extremely active with many players changing locations or re-upping with their current squads. Notable movers and shakers thus far include the Jets who traded MLB Jonathon Vilma to New Orleans and acquired DT Kris Jenkins from Carolina as well as the Raiders made Tommy Kelly the highest paid DT in NFL history (yikes).

Depsite all the activity, only one move thus far has fantasy implications and that is the Cleveland Browns agreeing to terms with QB Derek Anderson. 2008 was a breakout season for Anderson who began the year as the backup to Charlie Frye. Andserson made his first start in week 2, throwing for 328 yards and 5 TDs in a win over the Bengals and never looked back. He would go on to throw for 3,787 yards, 29 TDs and 19 INTs and make the Pro Bowl as a replacement for the injured Tom Brady.

2008 Fantasy Impact

Anderson showed discernable skill in leading the Browns in 2007 and I don't think his excellent offensive output was a fluke. His first half numbers were certainly better than his second half; however, Anderson performed admirably in his final 8 games, facing a tougher schedule and new adjustments from defensive coordinators.

With Braylon Edwards, Kellen Winslow and Jamal Lewis all returning in 2008, Anderson will have plenty of playmakers at his disposal as well as a strong offensive line headed by Joe Thomas and Eric Steinbach. It hasn't been this good to be the Browns starting QB since the days when Bernie Kosar was behind center and Ozzie Newsome and Reggie Langhorne were catching passes.

Anderson is the unquestioned starter in Cleveland entering the season and won't have to look over his shoulder at Brady Quinn unless his play is especially poor. He should enjoy another fine season, producing strong numbers in passing yards and TDs. INTs are a little bit of a problem for Anderson and could continue to be as defenses adjust; however, his potential offensive output should offset that concern.

Anderson ranks somewhere around the backend or just outside the top 10 fantasy QBs and is an excellent option once the elite QBs have been taken off the board.

Fantasy Team Preview: Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies made one of the greatest comebacks ever down the stretch last season, overtaking the Mets in the final week of the season to win the NL East crown. They will try to build on that success this year, however, their Spring Training got off to an inauspicious start when closer Brad Lidge went down with a knee injury. He will be out 3-6 weeks. Without further ado, let's take a look at the 2008 Philadelphia Phillies.

Projected Lineup

SS- Jimmy Rollins
CF- Shane Victorino
2B- Chase Utley
1B Ryan Howard
LF- Pat Burrell
RF- Geoff Jenkins
3b- Pedro Feliz
C- Carlos Ruiz

Starting Rotation

Ace- Brett Myers
2- Cole Hamels
3- Jamie Moyer
4- Kyle Kendrick
5- Adam Eaton

Bullpen

Closer- Brad Lidge
Setup- Tom Gordon, Ryan Madsen, J.C. Romero, Scott Mathieson, Clay Condrey

Hitters to Draft

Ranking the hitters to draft on this team was especially hard because they have 3 players who are near the top at their positions. I ranked them based on when they would be taken in the draft.

Ryan Howard, 1B - One of the best sluggers in the game, and a guy who has the potential to hit 50HR every season he plays. He was awful to start last season and STILL hit 47HR and had 136RBI. In reality with Pujols' elbow injury Howard should be taken ahead of him, but in fantasy drafts, I get the feeling he won't. Howard is definitely a first round pick, and is inline for another monster season.

Jimmy Rollins, SS - 30HR, 41SB, 94RBI, 139R, plays SS. One of the best things about Rollins is that he gets better nearly every season, and is constantly developing. Probably the second SS taken over all after Hanley Ramirez.

Chase Utley, 2B - Most rank him as the best 2B in all of baseball, and even though I don't I had to put him here because this is where he would be in a 2B popularity contest. He is a lock for a .300BA, 30HR, 100+RBI and 12SB.

Shane Victorino, CF - Speedster, will play center and can motor with the best of them. He will put up some better numbers than guys like Juan Pierre and will probably still be drafted after him, based on Pierre's past reputation.

Pat Burrell, LF - A fine power hitter who is constantly overlooked because of the media scrutiny he endures playing in Philadelphia. He had a huge second half last season proving he still has it in him. He is no longer the elite slugger he was, but he is better than a guy like Raul Ibanez, who I have seen go before him in a few drafts already.

Pitchers To Draft

Cole Hamels, SP - Young stud lefty, can win games and strike guys out. He should get plenty of run support and win about 17 games when all is said and done.

Brad Lidge, CL - He will more than likely start the season on the DL, trying to rebound from knee surgery he had early in spring training. I think at worst he misses 2-3 weeks of the season, and could still wind up with 35 saves or so. We broke the injury down more thoroughly here.

Brett Myers, SP - I am nervous about the fact that he closed all of last season and now he returns to being the ace of the Phillies' staff. I realize a season of closing might have helped him build strength, however, he got hurt last year while closing and will be leaned on to pitch 200 innings in 2008. I have him listed here because he is a solid fantasy starter and people will draft him in those middle rounds. Be weary of him breaking down at some point.

Kyle Kendrick, SP - Kendrick came up and saved the season last year for the Phil's winning 10 of the 20 games he started. Kendrick could have been a rookie fluke, but I think he will be able to post stellar numbers similar to what he did last season.

Players to Avoid

Adam Eaton, SP - Awful.

Jamie Moyer, SP - I like Jamie Moyer. Veteran, terrible stuff, tons of moxie, battles, earns every victory, but he bring little to the table in the fantasy world. Moyer's High ERA, high WHIP and lack of Ks should take him off your draft board. He is no longer in his prime; don't let his name fool you.

Geoff Jenkins, RF - He is like the Nicholas Cage of baseball. He keeps on sucking and keeps finding work like he is an elite player.

Sleepers

Carlos Ruiz, C - A catcher with a little speed and a bit of pop played his way into a starting role last season, and never let go. He is my second favorite sleeper catcher (after my boy J.R. Towles on Houston), and I think given a full season he will put up numbers at about a 12/12 clip with 70RBI. The stolen bases is an added bonus and outside of the top 3-4 catchers, the batting average is on par with what every other catcher will do.

Pedro Feliz, 3B - Not a whole lot was made of the Feliz signing, but I think it was a very good move that strengthens an already formidable Phillies lineup. Last season while playing on one of the worst offensive teams in baseball, in one of the worst hitter's parks in baseball Feliz managed 20HR, and 72RBI. At .253 the batting average is nothing to write home, but we are talking about a sleeper here, not an All- Star. I personally think Feliz has the potential to hit 30HR, with 85RBI hitting for this team, in this line up, in that ball park. A fine pick for later in your draft to fill out your 3B or U hole, and put up better numbers than many others would expect.

Injury Impact: With Andris Biedrins and Brandon Roy Out, Who's In?

NBA injuries are piling up so fast that we at FSE are being forced to start stacking multiple guys into injury analysis columns just to get by! Let's take a look at the recent injuries to Golden State center Andris Biedrins and Portland guard Brandon Roy with a focus on the underlying fantasy impact it will have on the rest of the guys on the roster.

Brandon Roy

Roy has been forced to miss the last two Blazer games with a sprained right ankle that has bothered him for much of the season. MRI results came back to reveal only a sprain and no structural damage, so Roy is being listed as day to day for the time being. There was some speculation he could return for Friday night's tilt with the Lakers, but he has all been ruled out for that game. Roy could return next week, however, he will most likely have to play with through this injury the rest of the season.

Fantasy Impact

Roy contributes in so many ways for the Blazers that in his absence it takes a small army of players to make up for his output. Roy is averaging nearly 20 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists and a steal a game on the season and is the unquestioned leader of the young Blazers team. When Roy is out of the lineup, look for increased scoring by Travis Outlaw, Jarrett Jack and Martell Webster as well as more assists for Steve Blake who assumes more of the point guard responsibilities.

Outlaw is the main beneficiary of Roy's injury as he slides into the starting lineup at power forward and is almost guaranteed 30+ minutes a night. Outlaw has 20 point potential and can grab a few boards as well making him a pretty good play in Roy's absence. Jarrett Jack and Steve Blake will each see legitimate minutes at point guard, however, Jack will be a source of consistent points while Blake can offer fantasy owners help in assists. Both can also help a bit in steals and threes.

Among all of the young Blazers, sharpshooter Martell Webster is the guy to keep an eye on when Roy is out. He has seen the biggest playing time increase in the past two games, playing well over 30 minutes in both games as a starter with Nate McMillan shuffling the lineup. Webster is getting increased offensive touches and can be an excellent contributor in three pointers and points to a lesser extent. Webster can also help out on the boards, averaging four a game on the season.

Andris Biedrins 

Biedrins had an emergency appendectomy performed last Thursday and is out indefinitely. Based on past players that have had to miss time due to appendicitis, I would expect Biedrins to be out 2-3 weeks.

Fantasy Impact

With Biedrins' nearly 10 points and 10 boards out of the lineup, Don Nelson will look to a number of different players to fill the void in the middle. The hot name has been rookie Brandon Wright who has played a more significant role the last two games in Biedrins' absence to mixed results. On Friday against the Atlanta, Wright came off the bench to put up 8 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks and 1 highlight reel dunk in a losing effort. Tuesday, Wright got his second start of the season, but only played 9 minutes scoring 2 points and grabbing 3 boards. Nellie has always kept a short leash on rookies and Wright will be no exception. I don't expect much in the form of consistent production from the youngster during Biedrins stay on the sidelines.

Other guys who will see additional minutes are Mickael Pietrus, Austin Croshere and former lineup staple Matt Barnes. Out of the three, Barnes has a chance to provide the best contributions. Also keep in mind that Nellie recently admitted that the Chris Webber experiment isn't really working out. That has been clearly reflected in C-Webb's diminished playing time of late and I don't see him being fantasy-relevant going forward.

So in Golden State's situation, I would merely give slight upgrades to three guys from the regular starting lineup Don Nelson truly trusts - Stephen Jackson, Monta Ellis and Baron Davis. The absence of the Warriors' pseudo-center will have them using their small lineup and running more than ever. These three should see even more offensive looks and post some consistently impressive numbers during this stretch. Conversely, the one Warriors' starter I would downgrade a bit is Al Harrington as he will be forced to play out of position at center more often with Biedrins out.

Baltimore Orioles 2008 Fantasy Preview

I think the off season saw more action for the Orioles than their regular season of 2007. They finished the 2007 campaign with a 69-93 record. The lone bright spots of the 07 season were Erik Bedard and Nick Markakis. Fast forward to the off season and what do we find in the Orioles locker room? Three players named to the Mitchell Report and the biggest bat in the line up in Houston. As if losing the best bat in the line up wasn't bad enough, they traded away their ace to Seattle. They may have gotten rid of their best players, but they did get a lot of young talent in return. Sounds like a youth movement to me and what do we use youth for in MLB? If you answered to rebuild, you are correct!

Offseason Moves

Acquired LHP Troy Patton, OF Luke Scott, RHP Matt Albers, RHP Dennis Sarfate and nonroster 3B Michael Costanzo from the Astros for SS Miguel Tejada

Acquired OF Adam Jones, LHP George Sherrill, RHP Chris Tillman, RHP Kam Mickolio and LHP Tony Butler from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for LHP Erik Bedard.

Projected Positional Starters

C-Ramon Hernandez
1B- Kevin Millar
2B- Brian Roberts
SS-Luis Hernandez
3B-Melvin Mora
LF-Luke Scott
CF- Adam Jones/Jay Payton
RF- Nick Markakis
DH- Aubrey Huff/ Jay Gibbons

Projected Starting Rotation

Ace - Jeremy Guthrie
2 - Adam Loewen
3 - Daniel Cabrera
4 - Troy Patton
5 - Garrett Olson

Projected Bullpen

Closer- George Sherrill
Middle Relievers - Dennis Safarte, Jamie Walker, Chad Bradford

Also Invited To Spring Training

Steve Trachsel
Esteban Yan

Hitters To Draft

Nick Markakis, RF

The prize of the Orioles franchise will give your fantasy team 30 Home Runs and at least 100 RBI. He will bat around .300 and shows no signs of slowing down. People expected the sophomore slump from him in 2007, but he silenced his critics with a solid season. Last season Markakis also accumulated 18 stolen bases. This adds value to him since many players who hit 30 HR and get 100 RBI do not steal bases.

Brian Roberts, 2B

He will bat around .290 and will steal you a ton of bases, since he is on the Orioles,FOR NOW, expect him to keep stealing bases since the offense in Baltimore isn't exactly the '27 Yankees. With any luck and a power burst maybe Roberts will have a 20/20 season? Keep an eye on Roberts, rumors of him heading to the Cubs have been running rampant throughout the Internet.

Melvin Mora, 3B

Has value at many positions and will be available late in your draft. He isn't a brand name baseball player and should fall to the late rounds. Provides value, he will give you around 20 HR and can steal a bag for you here and there.

Pitchers to Draft

Adam Loewen, Jeremy Guthrie, Daniel Cabrera, SP

These three pitchers remind me of Verlander, Bonderman, and Robertson in Detroit. They are young, maybe even too young to be in the bigs but are taking it on the chin and learning on the job. Any of these three pitchers could emerge as an ace. Even though Cabrera had 18 losses last season you can't deny his ability. Loewen and Guthrie should compete for the opening day start, but that doesn't really make them an ace. Both of these young men had decent years last season on a team going nowhere. Look for these two pitchers to improve and maybe even develop into all stars down the road.

George Sherrill, CL

I would wait until it is official but I think Sherrill will be named the Orioles' closer during Spring Training. Sherrill had a solid season in Seattle last season posting and excellent ERA and WHIP as one of the Mariners key middle relievers. The Orioles should be pretty bad this season so Sherrill may not get many save opportunities. However, he will go late in your draft and should be a good source of cheap saves now and then.

Players to Avoid

Ramon Hernandez, C

I apologize to the fantasy owner that gets stuck with Ramon Hernandez, he doesn't really do much with the bat. Hernandez is injury prone and is coming off a poor season where he hit only 9 HRs to go along with 62 RBI. In 2008, he will hit towards the bottom of a poor Orioles lineup so I don't see him improving all that much.

Aubrey Huff, OF/DH

Huff's Power numbers have been going down every year since 2004. He was once a promising fantasy player with Tampa, but now he is fighting for playing time with Jay Gibbons and Kevin Millar. Over the past 4 seasons, Huff's HR totals have dropped from 29 to 15 while his RBIs have fallen from 104 all the way down to 72. The fact he is splitting playing time won't help his output.

Danys Baez, MR

Orioles reliever Danys Baez will undergo elbow ligament replacement ("Tommy John") surgery and will probably miss the 2008 season. The right-hander hoped to avoid surgery through an extensive rehabilitation program. However, it appears that Baez has decided to have an operation.

Sleepers

Adam Jones, CF

The prize in the Bedard deal looks to be the opening day starting centerfielder. He is a 5 tool player and playing next to Markakis should only make him better. He dominated the minor leagues, but had little success in his two cups of tea in the big leagues. He will turn 23 in August so it would be wise to wait on him and store him away if you are in a deep keeper league. He will be a great baseball player, but it may not be this year. Keep an eye on his spring training stats before committing to him.

Dennis Safarte, MR

Was one of the young arms included in the Tejada deal. In his limited time in 2007, he put up solid numbers. In 7 games out of the bullpen he only allowed 1 ER and struck out 14 batters. If he can have success like this over the long term in Baltimore, maybe he could be their top set up man with Baez out for the season.

Troy Patton, SP

Another quality arm acquired in the Tejada deal and looks to be in the starting rotation come April. He put up decent numbers last year in his September call up, keep an eye on him in Spring Training.

Luke Scott, LF

Never really had a position in Houston but in Baltimore will be the Orioles' starting LF. He hit 18 HR last season and with a full season has a good chance to break the 20 HR mark. Could be worth your while late in the draft as a 4th outfielder.

Spring Training Fantasy News and Notes: Mike Piazza, L..A. Dodgers, Cleveland, Boston

Piazza Delivery

Mike Piazza's agent has said that the FA catcher will make a decision on if he wants to play next season and if so, for what team. Piazza has narrowed his choices down to two teams, but if he finds either not to be an ideal situation, he could choose to retire instead.

Fantasy Impact

Piazza should make his decision before most drafts begin, so keep an eye on him. If he is a full time DH for an A.L. team he could put up some decent numbers, for a catcher, of course. He couldn't stay healthy in 2007, but the injury he had last season was sprained right shoulder, caused by a collision with Boston 3B Mike Lowell. If he can stay healthy this season, expect about .275AVG with 20HR with 75RBI. Tampa Bay seems like one logical choice, as does Seattle, but thats just pure speculation on my part.

Billingsley Bounced Back

The L.A. Dodger's Chad Billingsley will miss his first scheduled spring training start on Thursday, with tightness in his right groin. He will be replaced by non-roster invitee Jason Johnson

Fantasy Impact

Billingsley started 20 games last season, went 12- 5 in those starts and struck out 141K in 147 innings. The Dodgers did a great job in not pushing the 24 year old too many innings last season, starting him in the bullpen and then moving him to the rotation (Look for the Yanks to do something similar with Joba Chamberlain this season). The tight groin doesn't seem like too serious of a thing, in fact manager Joe Torre said he would still throw in a simulated game on the same day. Draft him where you normally would, in that middle tier of pitchers. The biggest loser in this news is Jason Johnson getting the start for him, where he'll be knocked around and once again exposed as being horrendous.

Westbrook Misses Start

Jake Wesbrook was pulled before his scheduled spring training start Thursday because of soreness in this right (throwing) arm. Westbrook said this sort of soreness is normal for him at this time of spring training, because of the amount of bullpen sessions pitchers throw

Fantasy Impact

Westbrook probably is not on your draftboard, and I don't blame you. He doesn't strike a ton of guys out, and has the ability to get lit up, and let games get out of hand quickly. He can also go on runs where he pitches very well, and can handle a line up well. Do not bother to draft Westbrook, but keep an eye on him during the season and look out for a Westbrook Hotstreak.

Colon Movement

Red Sox Manager Terry Francona said that early on Bartolo Colon seems to be a bit ahead of where they expected him to be this soon into spring training. He will probably start his first spring game on March 9, and we should have a better idea of where he really is in his rehab/ workout program. Keep in mind he will still be a long shot to be healthy enough to travel with north (or I guess east) with the team when the season starts.

Fantasy Impact

I still don't like Colon. He has never been one to workout, or even attempt to lose weight. His large frame, and lack of physical conditioning have finally caught up to him. Credit the Red Sox with taking a chance, but in this case don't expect great results.

Tampa Bay Rays 2008 Fantasy Team Preview

I didn't want to do this one. I was hoping to dodge, duck and avoid this post at all costs. I was hoping we could split up the pitching and hitting. It didn't happen. So here I am, just me, the fantasy-loaded Tampa Bay roster and trusty Miller Lite. Something has got to give.

Starting Lineup

2B Akinori Iwamura
LF Carl Crawford
1B Carlos Pena
CF B.J. Upton
RF Rocco Baldelli/ Cliff Floyd
DH Jonny Gomes/ Cliff Floyd
3B Evan Longoria
C Dioner Navarro
SS Jason Bartlett

Starting Staff

Ace- Scott Kazmir
2- James Shields
3- Matt Garza
4- Andy Sonnanstine
5- Edwin Jackson

Bullpen

Closer- Troy Percival
Setup- Al Reyes, Dan Wheeler, Trever Miller, Gary Glover, Grant Balfour, Juan Salas

Hitters to Draft

Carl Crawford, LF - Had another spectacular season last year, despite not showing the growth as a hitter we had seen in his previous 3 seasons. His power dipped a bit, but he is still a lock to hit .300, with 50SB, 80RBI, 90R and 10+HR. I think his power numbers will improve a bit this year and he should safely reach the 15HR plateau. Expect the RBI totals to rise a little this season, but he is a front of the order type who you shouldn't really be counting on for RBIs. He is a late first or second round pick at worst.

B.J. Upton, CF - After playing 4 positions the last few years, it looks like Upton finally has a home in centerfield and he put up the numbers to prove it last season. Upton is only 23 and already has a 20/20 season under his belt with a .300AVG to boot. He is listed as a centerfielder, but Upton will have another fantasy season of 2B eligibility, which makes him a top 3 2B pick. He is very young and is still developing in all facets of the game so look for him to build upon his 2007 campaign. He could legitimatly be taken ahead of teammate Carl Crawford.

Carlos Pena, 1B - Carlos, is what we like to refer to as a "late bloomer." It took him a while, but Pena finally lived up to the hype that surrounded him as a minor leaguer. He hit .281AVG with 46HR, and 121RBI, a very good season for any first baseman, let alone one who has bounced around from organization to organization over the last 3 seasons. Despite the great numbers, I am not sold on Pena, I need to see another season like this before I believe in him. He could drafted right after the Big 3 first baseman, or toward the end of the middle tier first baseman like Mark Teixeira and Paul Konerko. I would take either of the aforementioned players ahead of Pena, because they are proven and dependable. If Pena is around in the 7th round or so, I'd take a flier on him, but I wouldn't go out of my way to draft him.

Akinori Iwamura, 2B - He showed last season he can hit a bit, and should be dependable for double digit HR and SB. He is making the move from 3B to 2B, meaning he will have multiple infield position eligibility in most leagues. He missed some time last season, so expect his second season in the majors to be better than the first given his added experience.

Pitchers To Draft

Scott Kazmir, SP - Lots of Ks, good ERA, good WHIP, not a ton of Wins and disgruntled Met's fans wondering, "What if?" Kazmir is only 24 years old and has had double digit wins for the last 3 seasons, despite his bullpen doing their best to prevent that. If Kazmir pitched on the Yankees or Red Sox he'd be surrounded with an immense amount of hype and pre- season Cy- Young predictions. Some are quieting Kazmir's stats, saying they doubt he can stay healthy, because he has been pounding on the innings at a younger age than most would like. While he has battled injury in his career, I wouldn't avoid drafting Kazmir because I thought he might get hurt.

**Injury Note - Kazmir was pulled before a Spring Training start with elbow soreness and MRI results are pending to determine the severity of the injury. Be weary of drafting Kazmir until the results come in with a diagnosis. For further analysis of the potential fantasy impact, click here. 

James Shields, SP - Young arm who posted a sparkling WHIP of 1.11 and a decent strikeout rate K-ing 184 batters in 215 innings. Shields is a solid 2 starter and should improve upon his numbers in his second full season pitching in the bigs.

Troy Percival, CL - I cannot believe I am encouraging people to draft Troy Percival. Thought he was finished and left for dead, Percival came back last season and pitched remarkably well as a set up man for the St. Louis Cardinals. He managed to parlay that success into landing the closing gig for the Rays, and with 3 solid starters and an improved bullpen in front of him Percival should manage a decent amount of saves for an improving Rays team.

Matt Garza, SP - Oh.. look.. another young talented starting pitcher on the Rays... what are the chances. Garza was involved in the Delmon Young trade this off season, so he better put up good numbers considering the talent that Young is. Garza had some (what I would consider to be) weird numbers last season. He posted a solid ERA of 3.69, but also had a poor WHIP of 1.54. To be honest I don't know a ton about Garza, but I do know he should be a decent starter on a solid offensive team, making him good for 12-14 wins. Just had this thought, he might put up numbers similar to those of Greg Maddux, only with a few more Ks.

Players to Avoid

Rocco Baldelli, OF - Oft- injured outfielder, who is capable of putting up solid numbers across the board. Injuries have zapped him of a lot of the hype and potential numbers he should be able to put up. He could go into 2008 and he could hit .320AVG with 25HR, 25SB, 100RBI and 100R. Of course that would not be taking into account that he manages to hit the DL with a minor injury every year, that some how costs him the season. He is the hitting equivalent to Mark Prior. If you really want to draft him, do so late, like last round late, but please do not draft him hoping for him to contribute anything serious to your team.

Cliff Floyd, OF/DH - Uncle Cliff, the elder statesman of the group will be looked at to help out in the outfield and take some at bats as the DH. Cliff, is one of those guys who is always banged up and has put up good numbers in the past when he is completely healthy, and the older he gets, the less that happens.

Jonny Gomes, OF/DH - Combine the previous 2 postings, stir them together and you have Jonny Gomes.

Sleepers

Evan Longoria- Young 3B with power is being hyped as the next coming to Alex Gordon and Ryan Braun. Expect to see some numbers somewhere inbetween what those two did last season, with less stolen bases. He seems like he could be the new Eric Chavez, pre falling apart.

Dioner Navarro, C - The catcher who seems like he has been around for ever, is really only 24, and a switch hitter and had a big second half last season. I was reluctant to put him here because he is the popular sleeper pick for many fantasy previews, but he cannot be ignored. Personally I would wait later in the draft and take J.R. Towels from Houston, the uber- sleeper. If you don't want to believe me, trust everyone else and take Navarro late, he should put up some fine numbers for a young catcher.

Andy Sonnanstine, SP - Control pitcher, who had a fine WHIP of 1.35 last season, but was bitten relentlessly by the HR ball, as most young pitchers are. He posted consistently good ERA and WHIP number in the minors, but as the trend shows in the majors, was prone to the HR ball. The developing youngster is penciled into the 4 hole in the rotation, and could be a decent guy to take later in your draft but expect to see growing pains and inconsistency at times.

Justin Ruggiano, OF - Had a big season last year in AAA, and should get some at bats in right field this season by default. Gomes, and Floyd are both injury plagued wastes and Baldelli should be a DH. Ruggiano went 20/20 for AAA Durham last year, with a .300AVG and an OPS of .888. If he can get the at bats he could be in for a fine season.

Al Reyes, MR - Late/ last round pick, could be in line for saves if Percival can't stay healthy.

Dan Wheeler, MR - Late/ last round pick could be in line for saves if Percival can't stay healthy. At worst, is a good set up man if your league counts holds.

Fantasy Basketball Desperation Station - Yao Injury Special Edition

The season ending injury to Yao Ming, a consensus first or second round pick, has left many fantasy rosters in a state of disarray. Unfortunately, the center position is not particularly deep and the waiver wire tends to be absent of quality big men at this point in the season. 

Earlier today we highlighted Carl Landry and Luis Scola as the Houston players who emerge as decent fantasy options in the wake of Yao's injury. Now, let's take a look at some stopgap options who can fill in at center for you and help weather the storm. 

Top Options

Mark Blount, PF/C Miami Heat - Despite averaging over 14 points and 6 rebounds in 9 February games, Blount is only owned in 26% of ESPN leagues and may very well be available on your waiver wire right now.  Blount is the unquestioned starting center on a bad Heat team and is consistently seeing 30+ minutes a night. With the Heat on the verge of tanking and nobody on the roster challenging him for the starting role, Blount should be a productive fantasy center the rest of the way. Yao owners, snatch him up immediately.

Josh Boone, PF/C New Jersey Nets - We have spoken about Boone extensively in the past and mentioned him as a good replacement option in our first Yao post of the day. His minutes continue to be a bit inconsistent despite landing the starting role, but as has been the case all season, when playing 25+ minutes he has produced. Over the months of January and February Boone is putting up around 10 points, 8.5 rebounds and shooting 55% from the field.  As the Nets continue to rebuild on the fly, Boone should see more minutes and can help fantasy owners in points, rebounds, FG% and blocks. 

Specialists

Rebounds

Jeff Foster, PF/C Indiana Pacers - Foster is averaging 8.6 rebounds a game on the season and over 9 a night in the month of February. Foster consistently sees 25+ minutes a game and can also contribute in FG% and steals. 

Erick Dampier, C - With Desagna Diop in New Jersey, Dampier is the Mavs only legitimate center option. Dampier is playing a season high 27 minutes a night in February and grabbing 8.4 rebounds a night. The big man out of Mississippi State should continue to see ample playing time and be a force on the boards while adding around a block a night. 

Kurt Thomas, PF/C San Antonio Spurs - Thomas averaged 8.8 rebounds a night in Seattle and picked up where he left off in his first game with Spurs grabbing 9 boards in only 13 minutes. Thomas should see 20-25 minutes a game with the Spurs and continue averaging close to ten rebounds a contest. KT also has the ability to contribute some in defensive categories. 

Blocks

Darko Milicic & Sean Williams - Both youngsters have struggled of late; however, they are each averaging 1.8 blocks a game. With some consistency in playing time, Darko and Williams can be an excellent source of blocks and put up good rebounding numbers.  

Spring Training Fantasy News and Notes: Closers On The Mend, (Baltimore, Toronto), Oakland, Minnesota

Going His Ray

Baltimore Oriole's closer Chris Ray said his rehab is going well and he expects to stick to his current throwing program. He said he was pleased with how his elbow was feeling and hoping for a late season comeback.

Fantasy Impact

While it is good that Ray feels his rehab is going well, it does not look like he will be worth drafting this season. Best case scenario calls for an August return (at best) for the O's closer, meaning most of the season will be over by then. George Sherrill, obtained in the Erik Bedard trade, is the preseason favorite to get saves for the O's this season. Keep an eye on Jamie Walker as well on Baltimore, as he might gather a save or two as well over the season. If you want, keep an eye on Ray's health, grab him in July, stash him on your team's DL and hope he returns by the season. Of course even if he does comeback by the end of the year there is no guarantee he will get saves.

Ryan Could Be Ready

Only ten months removed from Tommy John surgery it is looking more and more like B.J. Ryan could be ready for opening day. Manager John Gibbons said, "We're being cautious about it. We've got the okay from the doctors. But I'll tell you what, from what I've seen, he hasn't missed a beat."

If Ryan's surgeon gives him the go ahead he could throw batting practice Thursday and work a simulated game as early as Sunday. While it may seem like the Jays are rushing him along, it should be noted that Gibbons also stated, "...we're being smart about it... we don't want any setbacks."

Fantasy Impact

For the next few weeks, Ryan will only be allowed to throw every once every three days.
As he comes back more and more and proves he is healthy and ready, he will be allowed to throw the ball more often. As of right now, I think he is a decent late round pick for a closer, most people will avoid him because he has been hurt, but he is healing quickly and by season's start he might be able to throw every other day. Draft Jeremy Accardo also, who was the closer last season when Ryan got hurt, if you want to "handcuff" the closers on Toronto.

Bobby Bubbling For Season to Start

Oakland A's SS Bobby Crosby says he is completely healthy for the first time in a while and is looking forward to getting the regular season underway. Crosby has battled numerous injuries over career. Amongst other things, Crosby's five stints on the DL include a chronically bad back, broken left hand, and a stress fractures to his ribs.

Fantasy Impact

Crosby is a disaster. He has never hit above .276 in a season, and has not played in more than 96 games in the last three seasons. He appears to be more of apart of the Oakland A's Hypemachine, than the All-Star player many thought he would become just a few years ago. The injuries are many, the games are few, and batting average is low.

If he wasn't on the A's I doubt anyone would even consider drafting him. He is is not a good fantasy option. Please do not draft him.


Overbay Hopes He Is Over It

Toronto 1b Lyle Overbay hopes to know soon if his fractured right hand is fully healed yet. Overbay broke his right hand last June and limited to only 122 games. He hit only.240, well below his mark of .312 that he hit in 2006. "My strength is there," said Overbay, "so its just a matter of making sure it doesn't flare up too much."

Fantasy Impact

Overbay could still be a solid fantasy 1B, if he can over come the broken hand form last season. He will go under the radar in most drafts, and could be a decent sleeper. Do not expect anything overwhelming from him, but .300m with 17HR, 85RBI, isn't totally out of the realm of possibility.

A Lamb In Minnesota

The early word out of Minnesota has many predicting that Mike Lamb will be the team's most productive 3B since Corey Koskie. Lamb has been around a while, and has been able to produce at almost every team he has played with. Last season he hit 311 with 11HR, 40RBI and 45R. If you roughly double the at bats, to account for a full season you are looking at 22HR, 80RBI and 90R.

Fantasy Impact

I love Lamb as a sleeper this season at 3B. He is awful defensively but (in most leagues) Errors don't count against players. Minnesota even signed defensive whiz Adam Everett to play SS, to help account for some of the shortcomings they will have to deal with from Lamb. He should fit in well in Minnesota, and should be counted on to put up very respectable by season's end.

Yao Out For The Season - Upgrade Luis Scola, Carl Landry Poised To Breakout

It was revealed today that Houston Rockets center Yao Ming will miss the remainder of the season with a stress fracture in his left foot. The news comes at a time when the Rockets are enjoying a 12 game winning streak and playing their best basketball of the season. This injury is a crushing blow to the Rockets playoff chances in the loaded and super competitive western conference.

Fantasy Impact

Just a devastating loss for fantasy owners at this juncture of the season. Yao has been terrific and is one of only five players averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds on the season - Dwight Howard, Carlos Boozer, Antwan Jamison, Al Jefferson are the other four. The loss of Yao hurts far beyond just scoring and rebounding as the big man was also a great source of blocks  while shooting high FT and FG %.

In Yao's absence, Tracy McGrady should put up some gaudy offensive numbers in both the scoring and assist department. However, the Rockets will be forced to make some interesting lineup decisions that will directly impact fantasy owners. The ageless wonder Dikembe Mutombo is the backup center on the roster and should see added burn with Yao out. Mutombo can help in rebounds and blocks but has no offensive value whatsoever. 

Given Mutombo's advanced age, he may only be able to play effectively for around 30 minutes a night which should force Rick Adelman to implement a smaller lineup. Luis Scola could see additional playing time as the center of the Rockets small look and has already proven to be an excellent scorer when he gets the minutes. Scola has played his best basketball this month, posting a season high 11.2 points to go along with 6.4 rebounds in 25 minutes a night. With a consistent 30 minutes a night, 13-15 points and around 7-8 rebounds a night are within reach for Scola.

The guy who I love and think will benefit the most from Yao's injury is rookie second round pick Carl Landry. Your classic undersized PF standing at 6 foot 7, Landry has been a beast this season when getting extended minutes. In the 7 games where he has played 20+ minutes, Landry is averaging over 13 points and 8 rebounds. In addition, Landry's ability to finish around the basket has him shooting at a paltry 61% clip. 

When the Rockets decide to go small, I think Landry will become the primary option at the PF position. If Landry receives consistent playing time in the 25-30 minute range, 15 points and 10 rebounds a night are not out of the question but something along the lines of maintaining his 13 and 8 output is more reasonable. He should be a solid fantasy contributor in points, rebounds and FG% but will not help much in defensive categories. 

As a Yao owner myself, I feel your pain folks. Check back later for a special Yao Injury edition of Desperation Station focusing on stopgap and under the radar options at center. We will get through this together...

Rays Shut Scott Kazmir Down: Fantasy Impact

The D-Rays shut down ace Scott Kazmir for a few weeks after he experienced discomfort and swelling in his elbow warming up for a spring training start. The Rays went ahead and scheduled an MRI for later in the day and his status will be updated on Wednesday.

Fantasy Impact

I would move Kazmir down on my draft board a bit. He has had chronic elbow soreness, and battled injury for a few years now. When healthy, he is an elite strikeout pitcher and an ace, but it looks like his small stature and frame, might finally be catching up with him. Generally elbow and forearm soreness are a clear indicator of one thing, a need to ligament replacement (Tommy John) surgery.

This reminds me of what happened a few season ago with Francsico Liriano. He experienced elbow soreness and they tried to rest it to get it better. Eventually all it did was wind up delaying the inevitable Tommy John surgery.

I might be wrong and he might be healthy the entire season, and put up his normal dominating numbers. But, going into your fantasy draft, is it really worth it to risk to have a potential ace go down in the middle or end of the season needing surgery? I would go with a safer pick like Roy Oswalt or John Lackey instead or risking it on Kazmir, when there is really no need to take him. No one would bash or mock you for avoiding Kazmir or skipping over him come draft time.

Yao Ming Out For Season

The Houston Rockets might be the NBA's hottest team having won 12 games in a row, but just suffered a big loss. All-Star center Yao Ming has suffered a stress fracture in his left foot and will miss the rest of the season. Yao was having a career year averaging 22 points and near 11 rebounds a game on the season.

Fantasy Impact

The only other center listed on Houston's roster is 41-year-old Dikembe Mutombo, and it is doubtful they would want to turn to him in anything more than in a reserve role.

We recently praised the work of Joakim Noah and if he is available in your league we say go out and get him. We explain more in the aforementioned link.

If he is available in your league, we have also talked up Josh Boone. Boone is a bit inconsistent, but can be good for 13 points and 7 boards on any given night

Much more on Yao's injury and the fantasy implications in a few minutes when we get out of work and don't have to worry about bosses seeing us...

**Update 3:40pm - Full Yao Injury Analysis now up on FSE.

Gerald Wallace Out Longer Than 2 Weeks - Keep An Eye On Jared Dudley

ESPN is reporting that Gerald Wallace continues to experience post-concussion symptoms and is scheduled to see a neurologist later in the week to undergo a new battery of tests. Wallace was knocked unconscious in Friday's game against Sacramento, catching an elbow from Mikki Moore. He was originally expected to be out 2 weeks, but after continuing to feel lingering effects of his fourth concussion in four seasons, the timetable for his return has likely has been extended to at least a month. 

Fantasy Impact

The struggling Bobcats and fantasy owners alike are going to miss the 20 points, 6 rebounds and excellent defensive abilities that Wallace brings to the table on a nightly basis. Jason Richardson, Raymond Felton and to a lesser extent Emeka Okafor will be responsible for picking up Wallace's scoring slack during his absence. Each should see more offensive touches as the Bobcat's bench players lack scoring prowess. Richardson will be the biggest beneficiary as he now becomes the Bobcats primary perimeter threat while Felton's added points may come at the cost of some assists. 

Outside of those three, the Bobcats roster devoid of consistent fantasy options. One guy to watch is 2007 first round pick Jared Dudley who has performed admirably when given playing time this season. In 8 games in which he has played 25+ minutes, Dudley is averaging around 10 points, 6.5 rebounds and a steal. The rookie out Boston College will start in Wallace's place and could develop into a decent fantasy contributor in his absence.

2008 Minnesota Twins Fantasy Team Preview

When Bob Dylan wrote "The Times They are a Changin", maybe just maybe he was writing about the 2008 Twins. Gone are the faces of the franchise, Johan Santana, Torii Hunter, and young starter Matt Garza. In are a mix of reliable journeymen and young potential superstars. The Twins were one of the most active teams this off season, we will try to match the names to the faces for you kind of like Bob Uecker in "Major League".

Off Season Transactions

Acquired OF Carlos Gomez, RHP Philip Humber, RHP Kevin Mulvey and RHP Deolis Guerra from the New York Mets for LHP Johan Santana.

Signed RHP Livan Hernandez to a one-year contract.

Acquired OF Craig Monroe from the Cubs for a player to be named.

Signed SS Adam Everett to a one-year contract for the 2008 season.

Signed 3B Mike Lamb to a two-year contract with an option for the 2010 season.

Traded RHP Matt Garza, SS Jason Barlett and RHP Eduardo Morlan to Tampa Bay for OF Delmon Young, IF Brendan Harris and OF Jason Pridie.

Projected Positional Starters

C- Joe Mauer
1B- Justin Morneau
2B- Brendan Harris
SS- Adam Everett
3B- Mike Lamb
LF- Delmon Young
CF- Carlos Gomez
RF- Michael Cuddyer
DH- Jason Kubel

Projected Starting Rotation

Ace- Francisco Liriano

2 - Scott Baker

3 - Boof Bonser
4 - Livan Hernandez
5 - Kevin Slowey

Projected Bullpen

CL- Joe Nathan
Middle Relievers - Juan Rincon, Jesse Crain, Pat Neshek, Matt Guerrier, Dennys Reyes

Hitters to Draft

Justin Morneau, 1B

Back to back 30 HR 100 RBI seasons makes him one of the top first basemen in baseball. You really can't go wrong with the 2006 MVP, he is one of the bright stars in MLB today.

Joe Mauer, C

If he stays healthy he should bat around .300 and give you decent power numbers. His career high in HR is 13 and hasn't driven in 100 RBI yet in his career. The only question mark with Mauer is his health. The catching position is thin and Mauer is an upper tier catcher.

Michael Cuddyer, RF

Solid Fantasy outfielder will put up decent, real life baseball numbers and will be a good late round pick up if you ignored your outfielders during your draft.

Delmon Young, LF

Young was the AL runner up in Rookie of the Year Balloting, batting .288 with 13 homers and 93 RBI in his first season. It will be hard to replace Torii Hunter's 20/20 seasons and solid RBI numbers. Young could turn into a Torri Hunter type in the Twins outfield. Hopefully his off the field problems remain off the field.

Pitchers to Draft

Joe Nathan, CL

Probably the best closer in the game, he averages 3 blown saves a season over the past 4 years! Last season he had 77 K's in 71 IP and he racked up 37 saves. There are a lot of rumors of Nathan leaving Minnesota at some point in the season. He will probably be the first closer drafted in you league, if you are lucky to get him go for it! He is a low risk stud out of the pen.

Francisco Liriano, SP

Even though he missed all of the 2007 season due to an elbow injury, Liriano still is the sexy pick of all the pitchers in MLB. He was dominant in his rookie season before his arm failed him. He threw in 34 games, started 20 and won 13. He struck out 177 batters in his 34 games in 2006. Look for him to become a big time strike out pitcher in the AL.

Scott Baker, SP

He showed marked improvement late in the season in 2007 and looks to be one of the Twins top starters. Don't put too much stock in his final numbers from 2007, break it down monthly to see how well he really pitched.

Players to Avoid

Adam Everett, SS

Hopefully you don't paint yourself into a corner during your draft and forge to draft a shortstop. Adam Everett is not a reliable pick at shortstop. A very Vanilla player with a career .248 AVG.

Sleepers

Mike Lamb, 3B

Very underrated third basemen, he will give you an average around .290 and will hit double digit home runs for you. He's not a sexy name at third, but he could fill a blank if you have an injury or a poor draft.

Carlos Gomez, CF

Was acquired in the Santana deal and his speed could make him the everyday center fielder in Minnesota for a long time. He once stole 64 bases in the Minors and playing on turf will help his batting average. He has blazing speed and could have a break out year.

Kevin Slowey, SP

In 2007 at AAA Slowey was 10-5 with a 1.89 ERA and a WHIP of .89. He started 20 games and complete five. He rocketed threw the Twins system and came up for a few starts in 2007. He went 4-1, but his ERA was over 4. Remember this is his 4th year is pro ball and he has a lot to learn. But if you look at his learning curve, you can see he has learned a lot and could be the future of the Twins rotation.

Spring Training Fantasy News and Notes: Ichiro Atlanta, Texas, David Wells, Chicago Cubs

Seattle Mariners/Ichiro

Manager John McLaren wants All-Star centerfielder Ichiro Suzuki to run more this season, telling reporters he believes he can reach, 80 steals for the season.

Fantasy Impact

We all know Ichiro is great for Hits, AVG and SB. Well, if his own manager is telling him to run more, that might be something to note and get excited about. I doubt he'll reach 80, his previous high was 56), but it shows he'll always have the green light to do what he wishes on the base paths. With the amount of times Ichiro gets on base, it wouldn't be surprising to see him challenge the previous Mariner's record for SB in a season, held by Harold Reynolds with 60.





Mike Hampton Feeling Good

It's February and March is quickly approaching, which can only mean one thing. MIKE HAMPTON IS ON THE COMEBACK TRAIL AGAIN!! Hampton has battled elbow injuries, and more recently a hamstring injury while playing winter ball but finally looks like he is ready to give it a Major League go again. Hampton said his elbow feels fine, but his hamstring does give him some problems when throwing. Hamstring injuries have a tendency to linger just a bit, and if Atlanta plans on being cautious and pace Hampton along they might hold him back a bit in Spring training until he is totally healthy.

Fantasy Impact

Hampton might actually be a decent bet to bounce back if he can stay healthy, and as always thats a big IF. If you are one of those drafters who wants to take a flier on a late round veteran, instead of a younger pitcher with upside, than take Hampton. I think he has the potential to better than a guy like Bartolo Colon. Colon is an aging power pitcher, who has lost a lot of his power. Hampton is more of a finesse guy, who relies on control and movement to get hitters out.

Kevin Millwood... Not So Good

Kevin Millwood was scratched from his first scheduled spring training start because of... get this... a hamstring injury. Millwood had a career high 5.16ERA last season, to go along with two stints on the DL. At 33 he mght be aging quickly, and his years of being a workhorse, might finally be catching up to him.

Fantasy Impact

Millwood has been a decent pitcher for most of his career, Millwood might be on the downside at 33. Playing in a hitter's park in Texas certainly won't help his numbers either. Avoid Millwood at draft time. Let someone else take him, too early, because of his past accomplishments on far better teams.

Wells; Have Arm Will Pitch

David Wells' agent Greg Clifton has apparently contact the St. Louis Cardinals, asking if they would have interest in signing the 44-year-old lefty. The Cardinals declined the offer, showing they have more of a desire to use their young pitchers to fill any spots vacated by injury.

Fantasy Impact

Always good to see Boomer Wells looking for work. If he does wind up signing with a team, avoid him at draft time. He is useless.

Brian Roberts Rumors to the Cubs

The Brian Roberts to the Cubs rumors are quickly becoming like the villain in a horror flick. They just won't die. SI.com's Jon Heyman says that the potential trade still has a little life, and that the Orioles' are monitoring different players in the Cub's farm system. Other rumors have the deal being closer than that. Some say all Baltimore has to do is select the players they would want from Chicago to get a deal involving the 2B completed

Fantasy Impact

You have to wonder if this is some how tied to Mark DeRosa recently being hospitalized with a rapid heartbeat during spring training drills. We have said here that the thing keeping the Cubs from getting to that next level as an offensive team, is having a bat like Roberts at the top of the order.

Spring Training Fantasy News and Notes: Brandon Phillips to the 4 Hole

Brandon Phillips will be settle in the 4hole in the Cincinnati Reds lineup next season and will be counted on less to hit in the 2 and 3 spots in the lineup. Manager Dusty Baker wants to break up the devastating homerun tandem of Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn, who both bat lefty. The line up would put Griffey in the 3hole, Phillips in the 4hole and Dunn in the 5hole.

Most people don't realize it but Phillips went 30/30 last season for the Reds, and is only 26-years-old, so it's not like they are putting some veteran castoff like Rich Aurilia or Scott Hatteburg in the cleanup spot again. Phillips hit .288AVG. with 94RBI and 107R. He should be able to not only duplicate these numbers, but build on them. He said some advise he got from Griffey Jr. really helped him last season.

"Griffey told me, 'Don't limit yourself because you don't know how good you are,"' Phillips said. "Honestly, I didn't know I was capable of doing things like that. I know I can play this game. I never doubted myself. My goal was to be 20-20. I didn't think I would exceed my goal by that much. I knew I could hit 30 homers, I knew I was capable, but I didn't think I was going to do it last year."

Griffey Jr. giving him this advise is a bit ironic, because some of Phillips' success next season will depend on Griffey staying healthy and in the lineup on a consistent basis. Look for Phillips to have another fine season, with perhaps less steals. A 30/25 100-100 season should be a near lock for Phillips', who I have ranked as the top 2B in baseball.

Bonds to the Rays Rumors: Fantasy Impact

Barry Bonds might not be sitting out Spring Training too much longer. Tampa Bay Manager Joe Madden admitted recently that the Rays have had internal discussions about pursuing Bonds to play for the Rays in 2008. We will go through the positives, the negatives and of course dissect all of the Fantasy Implications.

Positive- The Rays get a patient hitter in the middle of their line up, that the rest of the young line up can learn from. The Rays have a very formidable offense now, but they strikeout too often and draw enough walks, not often enough. Having a guy like Bonds in the lineup could really help some of the younger hitters to be more selective when going to plate, in an attempt to draw more walks.
The Rays line up with Bonds would probably look something like this:

1. 2B Akinori Iwamura
2. LF Carl Crawford
3. CF B.J. Upton
4. DH Barry Bonds
5. 1B Carlos Pena
6. RF Rocco Baldelli/Cliff Floyd
7. 3B Evan Longoria
8. C Dioner Navarro
9. SS Jason Bartlett

Up and down it would be difficult to find a lineup with better overall power and speed combination. The best part would be that Bonds would be able to stay in the lineup more often than he has in recent seasons. Being able to DH, would save his legs and aching knees from having to play the outfield, which would help him stay healthier throughout the season, and allow him more rest during the game.

Negative

It was pretty clear that with the trade of Delmon Young and Elijah Dukes the Rays were trying to rid themselves of some of the bad apples they had in their system. Bringing in a guy like Bonds would bring back all the negative media attention they had from last season and then some.

Fantasy Impact

This is a best case scenario for Bonds. He would be going to an A.L. team where he would be allowed to DH, as well going into one of the best lineups he has played in, in his entire career. His protection would be 1B Carlos Pena, who clubbed 46HR last season and had 121RBI. Hitting in front of him would be Carl Crawford and B.J. Upton, two young speedsters also have a decent amount of pop and would thrive having a guy like Bonds to protect them in the lineup.

If Bonds signs with Tampa Bay, think you should expect 30HR, and 100RBI. If he was just going to be a DH with a decent team it would be one thing. But he is going to have a lot of protection around him and would also be giving protection to Tampa's young core of studs.
Bonds will go in the middle rounds if this deal happens, and he would be worth it there. Infact, he might even be a bargan there

2008 Pittsburgh Pirates Fantasy Team Preview

Last season the Pirates finished the season at 68-94 and had the second to worst record in baseball behind the Tampa Rays. Does this team have any players with fantasy value? The answer is yes!

Notable Off-Season Moves

Signed Doug Mientkiewicz to a minor league deal. Doug adds leadership, a great glove and post season experience to a very young team.

Traded Solomon Torres to the Brewers, solidifying Matt Capps as the closer and Damaso Marte as the set up man.

Projected Positional Starters

C- Ronnie Paulino/ Ryan Doumit
1B- Adam Laroche
2B- Freddy Sanchez
3B- Jose Bautista
SS- Jack Wislon
LF- Jason Bay
CF- Nyjer Morgan/ Nate McLouth
RF- Xavier Nady

Projected Starting Rotation

Ace- Tom Gorzelanny
2- Ian Snell
3- Paul Maholm
4- Matt Morris
5- Zack Duke

Projected Bullpen

Closer- Matt Capps
Set Up Men- Damaso Marte, Byung-Hyun Kim, and John Grabow

Also Invited to Camp:
Jaret Wright - Has a lot to prove, check his numbers this spring and see if he still has it.

Casey Fossum- He was once traded for Curt Schilling so he must be good...

If these guys have an above average spring training they will either make the Pirates or get on with another team. They both have proven they can pitch at this level, the question is though, is the "magic" still there?

Hitters to Draft

Jason Bay, LF - Bay had a dismal season in 2007, only batting .247 with 21 HR and 84 RBI. His first three seasons in the majors he averaged 30 HR and 90 RBI. Don't let least season scare you, his stats from 07 may scare many owners away and he will fall on many draft boards. I figure if he can put up stud fantasy numbers three years in a row then he is worth drafting.

Adam Laroche, 1B - If you get overwhelmed during your draft and look at your sheet in the 18th round and see you don't have a first baseman, Adam Laroche will save the day. Look for LaRoche to give you 20 HR and about 80 RBI.

Xavier Nady, RF - The X man can hit for power and will give you numbers similar to LaRoche. X is a good fifth outfielder or bench guy you can plug into the DH/U spot of your lineup from day to day.

Freddy Sanchez, 2B - Underrated second basemen here. The second base position is deep with studs, however, don't worry if you don't get one, Sanchez will be around after the dust clears. Hollywood Freddy will give you an average around .300 with some runs scored and RBIs and will not hurt you in the field.

Pitchers to Draft

Tom Gorzelanny, SP - The man who has done everything Zack Duke was supposed to do but didn't. Gorzelanny posted a career high last season with 14 wins. He is steadily improving in his young career. 135 strikeouts isn't too bad and won't kill you if you make him your number 3 or 4 starter.

Matt Capps, CL - Solomon Torres out! Matty Capps in! The Holds virtuoso is now the Pirates closer. Following in the footsteps of Rivera, Lidge and K Rod. Will Capps be the next big time closer? Last season he was 18/21 in save opportunities and posted a 2.28 ERA. I consider him a top closer and he will be around late in your draft.

Ian Snell, SP - He should have double digit wins and looks to be following the footsteps of Oliver Perez. Show great stuff every once in a while and be stuck in Pittsburgh. He will also provide a boost in your teams strikeouts and his ERA should be in the mid 3's.

Players to Avoid

Matt Morris, SP - He's old, has an ERA near five, is stuck in Pittsburgh and doesn't have dazzling stuff.

Zack Duke, SP - You would think he was traded to the American League the way he has been pitching. Duke just hasn't panned out in the big leagues and is losing favor in Pittsburgh. Maybe a change of scenery will help this young man get his career going.

Sleepers

Ryan Doumit, C - If he wins the starting catching job in spring training Doumit could be a pretty nice sleeper in your draft. Last season he posted 9 HR, 32 RBI, 33 R and a .274 AVG... in only 252 at bats. Imagine what he could do with a full season?

Nyjer Morgan, CF - The young center fielder could be the next big base stealer in the major leagues. In the minors he stole over twenty bases at every level and even stole 59 in 2006! If he can show he can hit big league pitching he may be the next Juan Pierre. Last season in his September call up he batted 299 and had 7 stolen bases in 28 games.

Bartolo Colon to the Red Sox: Fantasy Impact

According to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick, the Red Sox have signed former Cy Young Award winner Bartolo Colon to a minor league contract. Colon will not be needed to be the ace he once was, but he should serve as insurance, should Curt Schilling not be able to come back from shoulder problems.

Fantasy Impact

Colon is no longer the pitcher he was, and should not be viewed as such. He was linked to many teams this off season, and many teams have shied away because his stuff just wasn't there. If he can continue to make his way back from shoulder problems and get to throwing in the low 90s again he could be a decent starter, who could win a bunch of games given Boston's formidable offense.

Personally I think he is done. He has been injury plagued and ineffective the last few seasons, and for so many teams to walk away after seeing him throw, it tells you there must be something wrong. There are too many ifs that have to go right for Colon to again be an effective Major League starter. Ignore him come draft and take a chance on a younger starter with upside, like Andy Sonnanstine on Tampa, or Jesse Litsch on Toronto.

Lidge Out 3-6 Weeks: Fantasy Impact

Phillie's closer Brad Lidge will have arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and will miss 3-6 weeks, following a fluke injury that occured on Saturday. Lidge caught his spike on the mound throwing his first pitch of batting practice and immediately called trainers to the field and hobbled off after throwing just one more pitch. Manager Charlie Manuel said Tom Gordon would close if Lidge isn't ready by Opening Day.

Fantasy Impact

Lidge might miss the beginning of the season, but I don't think this changes his fantasy value very much, in fact it might actually help out. He could miss the first week or two of the season, but I could see people might let his value fall in a draft like he is out for the season. You might wind up getting a 40save guy 3-4 rounds after where he should be going. Don't worry about the knee getting hurt again, its better off this happened now and he had the surgery to fix it, than in the middle of April of May, when he would miss a greater piece of the season. He will have to deal with soreness in the knee throughout the season, but thats not something that should significantly effect his value.

You should take Lidge in your draft, and then Tom Gordon near the end if you are in a Head to Head league and every save could be the difference between a win and a loss. I have used this before, but its a lot like "handcuffing" RBs on a team in football, as an insurance policy.

Spring Training Fantasy News and Notes: Atlanta, New York (Yankees), New York (Mets), Baltimore, Anheim, Boston

We once again look at all the websites to find the news and notes that will help you prepare for your fantasy season.

Yunel's Year

The Braves showed their confidence in Yunel Escobar this off season when they traded veteran Edgar Renteria, to Detroit, and handed him the SS job. Last year in 319 atbats Escobar hit .326AVG with 5HR, 5SB, 28RBI and 54R. Braves' hitters have commented early in camp about how Yunel looks bigger an stronger in camp, and will hit for more power this season.

Fantasy Impact

I checked out Yunel's minor league stats and didn't find anything overwhelming that would tell me he is going to be the stud the Braves predict him to be. He never hit for much power, or stole an overwhelming amount of bases. That being said, the Atlanta Braves are a much better evaluator of talent than I am. Draft Yunel as a SS in your league, who should also have 2B eligibility, and enjoy a player who will get a ton of hits (if your league counts Hits as a stat), and what could max out at being a .300AVG with 15HR and 15SB.

Keying In On Kei

Yankees manager and pitching coach Dave Eiland are encouraged by the early work of Kei Igawa early on in Yankee camp. Igawa said he needed to throw more, to keep a better feel of his pitches and where they are going, and how to control them. So, the Yanks are going to let him throw as much as he wants. This looks like more then just Yankee hype. There were rumors of Igawa being asked for in various trades all winter, so other teams believe in his stuff and his ability to get hitters out on the major league level.

Fantasy Impact

Igawa could be a fantasy sleeper this season. Draft him late, and see what he can do for your team. The Yankee rotation is very delicate, and with youngsters like Phil Hughes, and Ian Kennedy along side Mike Mussina, who struggled to great degrees throughout last season, Igawa could find himself back in the starting rotation. Remember the Yanks are dedicated to easing Joba Chamberlain into the rotation later in the year, making Igawa the first guy they would go to if someone got hurt, was ineffective, or needed more seasoning in the minors.

Eyeing Reyes

The Mets are going to keep a closer eye on Jose Reyes this season, in an attempt to keep him fresher down the stretch. The Mets say they plan on communicating with Reyes more, and have asked veterans to assist Reyes in getting through the many ups and downs of the long baseball season. Reyes was awful in the second half last year, and was one of the many reasons for the Mets' historic collapse down the stretch.

Fantasy Impact

Generally, when a team says they plan on resting a player more during the season, it is reason to downgrade a player's value. In this case the occasional day off early in the season will probably be good for Reyes, if it keeps him fresh, later in the season. You would probably sacrifice the occasional Sunday start from Reyes in May and June if it meant he would be more effective in the month of September. Head to head owners, take note of this change, and keep an eye on days when the Mets may want to give Reyes a breather

Oriole's Closer Hex Continues

George Sherrill, the early favorite to land the closer's gig in Baltimore sat out Saturday's practice to receive treatment on an ailing hamstring. O's manager Dave Trembley said Sherrill was day to day but expected him to be ready for their Spring Training opener against the Marlins on Wednesday.

Fantasy Impact

Last season the Orioles lost closer Chris Ray, and then his replacement Danys Baez to Tommy- John surgery. By season's end Jamie Walker was the closer by default, and actually did pretty well. The O's will want to make sure that Sherrill is completely healthy before he gets out on the mound again, that being said, these hamstring injuries have a bad tendency to stick around longer than they expect to. You shouldn't draft Sherrill with the hope that he will definitely be the closer, keep an eye on Walker as well as he could be inline for saves as well

Angel's SS Platoon

It looks like early indication out of Angel's camp has Erick Ayabar and Maicer Izturez sharing SS duties this season. Manager Mike Scioscia said, "They may play 80 games each during the season. There's nothing we're ruling out at this point.

Fantasy Impact

I really don't like Erick Ayabar, as a fantasy sleeper, like many other people do. Please do not draft him, he won't be that good at all. The only stat he offers a better than average skill at is SB and the Angel's already have plenty of speed in their line up, so they won't need a SS hitting .250AVG, to add another 30SB to the total.

Julio Lugo Ready To Go

Lugo had an awful season in 2007, and was much maligned in both reality and fantasy. Lugo knows he struggled last season, and is looking forward to putting his struggles behind him and playing with more confidence in 2008.

Fantasy Impact

Lugo did manage to hit .280AVG in the second half last season, and aside from AVG posted solid numbers for a SS. He hit 8HR (not great), but had 73RBI, 71R and 33SB. Lugo really bottomed out last season, so expect better numbers in 2008, especially hitting in a potent Red Sox lineup. He is a GREAT sleeper candidate who will go much later than he should in a draft. He is going to be a top 10 SS at season's end, and probably will around later then he should.

1B Californication

San Francisco Giants

The Giants have given 1B candidate Dan Ortmeier a full time tutor to help him in his transition to first, a good indication that they are committed to giving him serious playing time there to start the season. Former Giants 1B J.T. Snow has been assisting Ortmeier learn the nuances and intricacies of playing first, as well as things to look for and expect.

We listed Ortmeier as a potential sleeper in our Giants season preview, but he could put up Lyle Overbay type numbers a whole lot later than Overbay will go in your league's draft. Read on and you'll see why you should take Ortmeier ahead of Casey Kotchman as well.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Look out Casey Kotchman lovers, the Angels plan on giving Juan Rivera an extended look over at first base. It looks like the Angels might be hoping to platoon Rivera and Kotchman over at first base. Kotchman hit a limited number of homeruns last season for a 1B (11HR), and hit none against lefties. This could be the Angels way of lighting a fire under Kotchman, or it could mean there is a platoon in the works. In Rivera's last full season (2006) he hit 23 HR with 85 RBI, more important in this case, he had a .970 OPS against left handed pitching.

This is the exact opposite of what the Giants are doing for Ortmeier. Move Kotchman off of your potential sleepers for first base. The season hasn't even started yet, and the Angels are showing they do not have faith in the young hitter. This could also be a signal that there still might be something to those Paul Konerko rumors we heard earlier this winter.

Don't Forget Furcal

Los Angeles Dodgers

Dodger's shortstop Rafael Furcal says that he is "feeling 100 percent" entering Spring Training and is healthier than he was all last season. Many people forget that Furcal started last season on the DL, with a sprained ankle he suffered late in Spring Training.

Furcal is terrific sleeper SS, who will go later in the draft than he should. He was a top 3-4 SS before the ankle injury zapped him of his ability to put solid swings on the ball, and hurt his speed on the base paths. He put up numbers far below what we are used to seeing from him, so expect him to come back and reestablish himself as not only one of the best SS in the game, but one of the best players.

Pujols' Fantasy News

St. Louis Cardinals

Manager Tony La Russa announced that the team would be limiting Albert Pujols' spring training at bats, and his involvement in certain throwing drills to minimize the strain on his right elbow tendon. La Russa also indicated he would like to try to find more off time for the slugger during the regular season to try and help him stay fresh throughout the season.

We reported on Pujol's injury earlier, and this is another clear indication that the Cardinals are worried about the status on Albert's elbow tendon. This is another indication that it might be worth your while to pass on Pujols in the first round of your fantasy draft

Cubs Line Up Shake Up

Cubs Line Up Shake Up

Manager Lou Piniella has announced plans to hit Japanese import right fielder, Kosuke Fukudome in the 3 hole, moving 1B Derrek Lee and 3B Aramis Ramirez down a spot in the line up, into the 4 and 5 holes respectively. The move would accomplish a few things. First, it would allow Fukudome to hit in a spot in the line up where he is most comfortable hitting, and that might help him better transition into the Major Leagues. It also allows Piniella to get a left handed bat in the middle of the line up, some thing the Cubs desperately need to break up the mostly right handed line up. As currently constructed the Cubs line up would look something like this:
LF Alfonso Soriano-R
SS Ryan Theriot- R
RF Kouke Fukudome- L
1B Derrek Lee- R
3B Aramis Ramirez- R
2B Mark DeRosa- R
C Geovany Soto- R
CF Felix Pie (for now)

Looking at the line up the big thing that is missing would be a hard nosed 2B, to hit second in the line up, who is a switch hitter, has plenty speed, and can hit the occasional HR. His name is Brian Roberts and he plays in Baltimore. The Cubs are serious about winning, and need to make a move to get Roberts. He can take their offense over the top, from very good, to one of the elite in baseball.

That being said, even without Roberts, Lee and Ramirez are both elite players at their positions, and I like the idea of Fukudome starting off in the 3 hole. He gets good protection, and is in a place to succeed.

Dallas Does Marlin's Camp

Dallas Does Marlin's Camp

Buster Olney reports that Dallas McPherson has opened some eyes early in the Marlins' camp. He is competing with Jose Castillo and Jorge Cantu for the starting 3B gig, with the Marlins, replacing Miguel Cabrera.

McPherson showed glimpses of great power in his minor league, specifically in 2004, when he combined to hit 40 dingers sharing time in both AA and AAA for the Anaheim Angels. He is coming off of back surgery to remove a herniated disc that cost him all of 2007, and is looking to get his career back on the right path.

The Marlins are auditioning McPherson, Jose Castillo and Jorge Cantu at 3B this spring, in the hopes that one of them can can step up and post decent offensive numbers, while playing good enough defense not to hurt the team. All three are known to be very talented but have proven to be little more than perennial underachievers, due to lack of focus, or just bad luck caused by injury. I actually like Cantu to come out as the winner here. He has a smooth swing and played decently enough for the Reds last season, despite limited at bats. Cantu would be my pick of the three to be a good sleeper in your draft this season.

New Jeter Workout Helps Fantasy Value

Jeter

Derek Jeter said he changed his off season work regiment to include more agility, speed, and lateral movement drills. Jeter said that last season he had a lot of problems with his legs, and wanted to be able to get back some quickness and explosiveness that he lacked for parts of last season.

All to often players get older and don't realize, or ignore the fact that they are slipping in parts of the game. At the age of 33, going on 34, it looks like Jeter knows and understands his body is getting older and he is doing the right things to combat it. Keep in mind he hit .322BA last season, with 12HR, 73RBI, 15SB and 102R. Not bad numbers for a SS who battled injuries, and was apart of a line up that really struggled to get it going the first 2 months of the season. Look for his SB total to rise this season, and for him to put up his typical numbers across the board.

J.D. Drew Looks to Bounce Back

J.D. Drew Looks to Bounce Back

J.D. Drew has been around for years now, and has established himself as being a few things. Injury prone, a guy who enjoys a day off now and then, money hungry, and a talent on the ball field. He can hit and plays a good outfield, no matter where he is positioned. The injuries and rumors of having a poor attitude have always held him back and prevented him from becoming an elite player, and has just kept him at the "very good player." For all that Drew does, the media and fans let him know about it, and its rare that he does something without it hitting the news. Most of the time I would love to pile on more Drew bashing right now, and tell you why he is a terrible ball player and human being, but I won't. I actually think Drew will be an excellent sleeper pick this season.

Drew struggled in his first season in Boston, partially because it was his first season in the AL and he had difficulty adjusting to the new pitching. The other reason is much more serious, it stems from his 1 year old son, jack, undergoing extensive surgery to correct a developmental displacement of his hips. The operation left Jack in a cast for 6 weeks, and even the most ardent Drew hater can see how that can effect anybody's performance in any profession they have.

I like Drew to have the season this year he was supposed to have last season. 25HR and 85-90RBI I don't think are out of the question. Keep in mind Drew had a huge September and hit a huge grandslam in the ALCS. That shows that by the end of the year, he was getting his head clear, and making the appropriate adjustments.

Cincy 1B Questions Answered

Dusty Wants to Go To Votto

Dusty Baker has given an early endorsement to 1B Joey Votto to win the 1B job this season for the Cincinnati Reds.

"What's Hatteberg? Thirty-eight?" Baker said. "Votto's the future here. I talked to Hatteberg about Votto. He thinks he's going to be a heck of a player. He's not conceding his position. ... I think he understands to be part of the club that Votto might have to be a major part of it. It might be Votto's time."

The quote makes it sound like Votto is going to have to play poorly enough to lose the job, and won't have to worry about winning it.

I love Votto as a sleeper this season, and the early endorsement from Dusty only strengthens my case for him. Last year in AAA he went 20/20, with a .294AVG and 92RBI in only 133 games. To show it was not just a one season fluke, he has averaged 24HR and 21SB in his last two minor league seasons. He took his success from the minors to the majors in September last season to the tune of a .321AVG, 4HR and 17RBI in only 24 games.

Don't expect the gang busters hotness he had in September to carry over all season in 2008, but expect very good numbers. He showed he can hit the majors and said that that really helped him realize he belongs in the majors and can hack it with the big boys.

"It gives you confidence," Votto said. "If I had done poorly, I don't think I would have doubted myself. But it was good to do well."

Take that quote and run with it on draft day. Enjoy a 20/20 season from a 1B, not something we've seen since Derrek Lee a few season's ago.

Teahan Is All Over the Place

Teahan came up in 2006, and hit like gangbusters, slugging 16HR in 316 at bats. Following the fanfare, Teahan was a sleeper in 2007, and did just that all season, slept. He was a bust, hitting only 7HR in 544 at bats, and striking out an characteristic 127 times.

The good part is Teahan and hitting coach Mike Barnett can both point a variety of reasons for the drop off, and explain why Teahan should be able to bounce back this season.

“Moving to the outfield and running around more … just figuring out how to keep my legs (fresh) throughout the season," was one reason Teahan gave for his drop off. Teahan then pointed to major shoulder surgery he had at the end of 2006 as another reason for his 2007 decline. He was unable to lift weights in the off season, so he lost a bit of power in his upper body and that translated to his swing.

Hitting coach, Mike Barnett added, that the lack of power, caused Teahan to start pressing at the plate, and he began trying to hit homeruns, only furthering his struggles.

The fact that Teahan can point to certain things as reasons for his struggles makes me think he is a good candidate to improve his numbers this season. If he had said, "I can't figure out what is wrong, I'll just keep doing what I am doing," I would be concerned. That is not the case here, he knows why he struggled and is making way to correct the struggles.

Look for Teahan to bounce back this season and hit 2o-25HR, to go along with 85-90RBI. He will also gain multiple position eligibility, as he will be playing leftfield, rightfield, and filling in at times as 1B, and 3B this season, depending on where the Royals need him to play that day.

Scott Baker is Cooking

Baker Ready to Cook

I really love Scott Baker as a sleeper pitcher this season for two reasons. First, I want to look at his month by month numbers:

May-5.94 10K
June-5.64 22K
July- 4.02 27K
August- 2.59 26K
September/ October- 5.16 17K

The numbers show an improvement throughout the season, until September when he probably tired after his first season in the majors leagues.

The second reason I like Baker is this quote I found, that more or less speaks for itself.

"Good is great's worst enemy,'' Baker said. "I could have had a good season and just have gone about my business, but that's not what I want to do. I don't want be just an average pitcher. I want to be a top-of-the-rotation guy. I want to be the very best I can. I feel that my best is being one of those top guys.'' I do not need to further clarify anything.

Washington Mash-onals

Washington Mash-onals


National's GM Jim Bowden looked on with awe as his three young outfield sluggers put on a batting practice performance that left many wondering, "What if?" What if Wilt Mo Pena, Elijah Dukes and Lastings Milledge can put all their past issues behind them and flourish as everyday players? Can Lastings grow as a player and put the immaturity that plagued him with the Mets behind him? Can Elijah Dukes get over various legal problems? Can Wily Mo Pena flourish now hat he is an everyday player, with a home?

Dukes and Pena exchanged bombs all of the ballpark, while Milledge was hammering line drives all over the outfield. "I felt sorry for Lastings," teammate Dmitri Young said. "He was tagging the ball, too, but his balls were just scraping the wall. The other two were hitting cars."

It looks like Milledge and Pena will begin the season as everyday players in center and left respectively, with Austin Kearns in right. If Kearns continues to struggle, it wouldn't be uncharacteristic of GM Jim Bowden to deal Kearns for pitching and hand the rightfielder's job to Dukes. There are various reasons to draft any of the three. Pena probably has the greatest power potential, while Milledge will be a better power/ speed combo. Dukes would be a high power, low batting average pick, who must first get over his legal issues and then earn playing time.

Fantasy Basketball Add Alert - Joakim Noah To Start At Center For The Bulls

Last night in the Bulls' first game since Thursday's 11 player 3-team trade that ended the Ben Wallace experiment in Chicago, Joakim Noah started at center and played extremely well putting up 14 points, 10 rebounds, 1 steal and 2 blocks in a season high 38 minutes.

According to the Chicago Tribune, it appears that the acquisition of Drew Gooden (who didn't play last night) will not interfere with Noah's playing time and he will be the Bulls's starter at center for the remainder of the season. This leaves Gooden and Tyrus Thomas to battle for minutes at power forward with Gooden most likely starting and Thomas coming off the bench.

Fantasy Impact

I have been writing about Noah's virtues since Luol Deng went down in January and it appears he has finally received his break as the starting center in Chicago. Noah is an excellent fantasy option due to his ability to fill up the stat sheet as he showed on Friday night. Noah will score in the mid-teens given his ability to finish around the rim and create excellent scoring opportunities for himself by being active off the ball. He is also a strong rebounder, averaging over 10 rebounds in the 5 games this season where he has received 25+ minutes.

Scoring and rebounding are Noah's strong suits; however, his aggressive defensive style allows him to contribute in steals and blocks. He should be good for about a steal and a block a night in his new starting role.

Noah has struggled from the field a bit, posting a FG% of 44.6% which is poor for a center and could be a concern for fantasy owners. I believe he will improve in this category and that his low shooting percentage is a product of playing out of position at PF much of the season and seeing inconsistent minutes.

Noah's splits seem to back up this assertion as he is shooting around 41% when playing PF as opposed to 48% at center. Further, his FG% rises to nearly 49% in the 4 games he has started compared to 43% when coming off the bench. Noah should see more high quality looks closer to the basket as the starting center and I think he will shoot around 50% from the field going forward.

Brad Lidge Injures Leg

Brad Lidge had to leave the batting practice session he was throwing after he caught his spike in the mound while throwing his first pitch. The extent of the knee injury is  unknown, but it was serious enough for Lidge to limp off the field, after trying to throw one more pitch.

"It was my push off leg," Lidge said. "I caught my spike in the mound. I threw the pitch but it felt like I pulled something in the knee. ... It swelled up a little, but I'm optimistic that I just pulled some scar tissue loose."

Ligde had surgery on the same knee in October to remove torn cartilage, that had plagued him throughout the 2007 season.

Fantasy Impact

Lidge was Phillies' biggest off season acquisition, and was supposed to be the one lock in a mostly uncertain bullpen. If this is anything more than just some pulled scar tissue, it could be disastrous for the Phillies. After Lidge the next candidate to close would be Tom Gordon, and then Ryan Madson, who have each battled injury over the last few seasons.

We will monitor this situation and see what comes of it over the next few days. Try to avoid drafting Lidge until more is known about his injury.

Spring Training Fantasy News and Notes: Cincinnati, Kansas City, Minnesota, Washington

Lots of great Fantasy News in today's Buster Blog. Let me give you the run down and sort out the important stuff.

Dusty Wants to Go To Votto

Dusty Baker has given an early endorsement to 1B Joey Votto to win the 1B job this season for the Cincinnati Reds.

"What's Hatteberg? Thirty-eight?" Baker said. "Votto's the future here. I talked to Hatteberg about Votto. He thinks he's going to be a heck of a player. He's not conceding his position. ... I think he understands to be part of the club that Votto might have to be a major part of it. It might be Votto's time."

The quote makes it sound like Votto is going to have to play poorly enough to lose the job, and won't have to worry about winning it.

I love Votto as a sleeper this season, and the early endorsement from Dusty only strengthens my case for him. Last year in AAA he went 20/20, with a .294AVG and 92RBI in only 133 games. To show it was not just a one season fluke, he has averaged 24HR and 21SB in his last two minor league seasons. He took his success from the minors to the majors in September last season to the tune of a .321AVG, 4HR and 17RBI in only 24 games.

Don't expect the gang busters hotness he had in September to carry over all season in 2008, but expect very good numbers. He showed he can hit the majors and said that that really helped him realize he belongs in the majors and can hack it with the big boys.

"It gives you confidence," Votto said. "If I had done poorly, I don't think I would have doubted myself. But it was good to do well."

Take that quote and run with it on draft day. Enjoy a 20/20 season from a 1B, not something we've seen since Derrek Lee a few season's ago.

Teahan Is All Over the Place

Teahan came up in 2006, and hit like gangbusters, slugging 16HR in 316 at bats. Following the fanfare, Teahan was a sleeper in 2007, and did just that all season, slept. He was a bust, hitting only 7HR in 544 at bats, and striking out an characteristic 127 times.

The good part is Teahan and hitting coach Mike Barnett can both point a variety of reasons for the drop off, and explain why Teahan should be able to bounce back this season.

“Moving to the outfield and running around more … just figuring out how to keep my legs (fresh) throughout the season," was one reason Teahan gave for his drop off. Teahan then pointed to major shoulder surgery he had at the end of 2006 as another reason for his 2007 decline. He was unable to lift weights in the off season, so he lost a bit of power in his upper body and that translated to his swing.

Hitting coach, Mike Barnett added, that the lack of power, caused Teahan to start pressing at the plate, and he began trying to hit homeruns, only furthering his struggles.

The fact that Teahan can point to certain things as reasons for his struggles makes me think he is a good candidate to improve his numbers this season. If he had said, "I can't figure out what is wrong, I'll just keep doing what I am doing," I would be concerned. That is not the case here, he knows why he struggled and is making way to correct the struggles.

Look for Teahan to bounce back this season and hit 2o-25HR, to go along with 85-90RBI. He will also gain multiple position eligibility, as he will be playing leftfield, rightfield, and filling in at times as 1B, and 3B this season, depending on where the Royals need him to play that day.

Baker Ready to Cook

I really love Scott Baker as a sleeper pitcher this season for two reasons. First, I want to look at his month by month numbers:

May-5.94 10K
June-5.64 22K
July- 4.02 27K
August- 2.59 26K
September/ October- 5.16 17K

The numbers show an improvement throughout the season, until September when he probably tired after his first season in the majors leagues.

The second reason I like Baker is this quote I found, that more or less speaks for itself.

"Good is great's worst enemy,'' Baker said. "I could have had a good season and just have gone about my business, but that's not what I want to do. I don't want be just an average pitcher. I want to be a top-of-the-rotation guy. I want to be the very best I can. I feel that my best is being one of those top guys.'' I do not need to further clarify anything.

Washington Mash-onals


National's GM Jim Bowden looked on with awe as his three young outfield sluggers put on a batting practice performance that left many wondering, "What if?" What if Wilt Mo Pena, Elijah Dukes and Lastings Milledge can put all their past issues behind them and flourish as everyday players? Can Lastings grow as a player and put the immaturity that plagued him with the Mets behind him? Can Elijah Dukes get over various legal problems? Can Wily Mo Pena flourish now hat he is an everyday player, with a home?

Dukes and Pena exchanged bombs all of the ballpark, while Milledge was hammering line drives all over the outfield. "I felt sorry for Lastings," teammate Dmitri Young said. "He was tagging the ball, too, but his balls were just scraping the wall. The other two were hitting cars."

It looks like Milledge and Pena will begin the season as everyday players in center and left respectively, with Austin Kearns in right. If Kearns continues to struggle, it wouldn't be uncharacteristic of GM Jim Bowden to deal Kearns for pitching and hand the rightfielder's job to Dukes. There are various reasons to draft any of the three. Pena probably has the greatest power potential, while Milledge will be a better power/ speed combo. Dukes would be a high power, low batting average pick, who must first get over his legal issues and then earn playing time.

Commentary - Bonds Should Play For The Yankees In 2008

If Barry Bonds is a free man this season where should he play? I will offer my profound opinion on the matter and would love to hear what you, the Fantasy Sports Experience reader, have to think on this matter.

Many are claiming that the best fit for Barry Bonds would be in Oakland. My question is, why would he want to play in Oakland and what would attract him to that team? I don't see him getting any protection in that line up and also I don't see any slugger wanting to play in a stadium where every foul pop is an out. Now everyone says, "Oh it's close to San Francisco rabble rabble." I don't buy it!

If Bonds plays this season, he should play for either the New York Yankees or the Boston Red Sox. Think about it, the biggest ego, figure and sports icon playing in the biggest market in professional sports. Think about Bonds batting in front of Manny and Papi; imagine the numbers he would put up! Think about Bonds batting after Jeter and before Alex Rodriguez! Ya kidding me? Why wouldn't the Yankees take a chance on him? Didn't Steinbrenner get off on bringing back Doc Gooden and Daryl Strawberry? What makes Bonds different? He has fallen from grace so why isn't George coming to the rescue?

I know he is 43 years old, but he hit 28 Home Runs last season in a pitchers ball park with no one around him!!! I hope Hank and Hal are readers of FSE, think of the possibilities! I am certain that Theo Epstein must have given this a thought as well. How could someone pass this up? I know he carries a lot of baggage, but he has shown countless time that he can handle thet media attention he will receive in these two markets.

I know, now you are thinking, "What about the money?" Seriously these two teams can afford to pay anyone and I'm sure they won't be breaking the bank to sign him to a one year deal especially since his value has gone so far down. Bonds made 15.8 million dollars last season, these two teams piss that away daily.

That brings us to what team he is a better fit for. Since Big Papi is already the Red Sox Designated Hitter, Bonds would have to play left field, thus giving the Red Sox an outfield that resembles Stone Henge. If he plays in New York they can let Bonds be the full-time DH and he can play everyday he physically can. 

In New York, maybe, just maybe his image would change for the better. Maybe Yankee fans will fall in love with him and embrace him as one of their own after he starts contributing? Maybe he hits a huge post season home run and maybe Bonds finally wins a World Series ring. It's worth a shot.

Fantasy Basketball Desperation Station - 2/23/08

Welcome back to Desperation Station where we provide you with the best stopgap options to keep your fantasy basketball team up and running. This week, we highlight a Detroit rookie flying under the radar, the latest Milwaukee Bucks player to emerge as fantasy relevant and one of King James' newest teammates. 

Rodney Stuckey, PG/SG Detroit Pistons - If Stuckey was seeing 30 minutes a night on a bad team, he would have already joined the ranks of FSE's Ballers On The Brink. Unfortunately for fantasy owners, the 15th overall pick out Eastern Washington is playing on a deep Detroit Pistons team with a starting lineup that is set in stone. Stuckey has seen added burn in February, averaging a season high 21 minutes a night and has responded, producing the best numbers of his young career. In 8 games this month, he is putting up around 10 points and 4 assists a night. Further, in games where he has seen 20+ minutes, Stuckey is averaging around 13 points and 5 assists. Stuckey can help owners desperate for points and assists; however, with added playing time this kid could be an excellent option down the stretch.

Desmond Mason, SG/SF Milwaukee Bucks - After missing all of January, the versatile Mason is enjoying a solid February averaging around 12 points and 5 rebounds. Mason has worked his way back into the Bucks' ever-changing rotation and is getting significant playing time this month averaging nearly 30 minutes a contest. In 7 February games Mason has put up double digit points in his last 5 games and grabbed 5 or more rebounds 4 times. Clearly scoring and rebounding are Mason's strengths; however, he can also contribute some in steals and blocks as he is an aggressive defender.

Delonte West, PG/SG Cleveland Cavaliers - West showed some ability on the Celtics last season but has been buried on the Sonics bench much of this year, making him a non-factor in fantasy. Thursday's trade to Cleveland is a godsend for West who will now be able to display his three point shooting touch playing alongside Lebron James. The injury to Daniel Gibson which has him missing approximately 4-6 weeks leaves Cleveland thin in the backcourt and should give West ample playing time. If he receives 25-30 minutes a night West could help you fantasy team in points, threes and assists while also contributing in steals. Production along the lines of 12 points, 4-5 assists, 2 threes and 1 steal a game aren't out of the question for West who should push incumbent point guard Eric Snow a bit for his starting job. 

Spring Training Fantasy News and Notes: Philadelphia, Florida, Chicago (Cubs), Red Sox, Cleveland, New York (Yankees)

Lidge Throwing Well

ESPN.com's Buster Olney is reporting in his blog today that news out of Philly's camp is that Brad Lidge is throwing really well. "The ball is coming out of his hand really well," said one evaluator.

Not sure if this actually means anything, however Lidge's problem has never been his stuff, it has been his ability to locate his stuff and throw strikes. All to often last season when he did manage to throw strikes, he was catching too much of the strikezone and the ball wound up going a long way. That being said, the only other guy the Phillie's have to lose would be Tom Gordon, so even if he struggles, figure Lidge to finish wish with around 35 saves.

Dallas Does Marlin's Camp

Olney also reports that Dallas McPherson has opened some eyes early in the Marlins' camp. He is competing with Jose Castillo and Jorge Cantu for the starting 3B gig, with the Marlins, replacing Miguel Cabrera.

McPherson showed glimpses of great power in his minor league, specifically in 2004, when he combined to hit 40 dingers sharing time in both AA and AAA for the Anaheim Angels. He is coming off of back surgery to remove a herniated disc that cost him all of 2007, and is looking to get his career back on the right path.

The Marlins are auditioning McPherson, Jose Castillo and Jorge Cantu at 3B this spring, in the hopes that one of them can can step up and post decent offensive numbers, while playing good enough defense not to hurt the team. All three are known to be very talented but have proven to be little more than perennial underachievers, due to lack of focus, or just bad luck caused by injury. I actually like Cantu to come out as the winner here. He has a smooth swing and played decently enough for the Reds last season, despite limited at bats. Cantu would be my pick of the three to be a good sleeper in your draft this season.

Cubs Line Up Shake Up

Manager Lou Piniella has announced plans to hit Japanese import right fielder, Kosuke Fukudome in the 3 hole, moving 1B Derrek Lee and 3B Aramis Ramirez down a spot in the line up, into the 4 and 5 holes respectively. The move would accomplish a few things. First, it would allow Fukudome to hit in a spot in the line up where he is most comfortable hitting, and that might help him better transition into the Major Leagues. It also allows Piniella to get a left handed bat in the middle of the line up, some thing the Cubs desperately need to break up the mostly right handed line up. As currently constructed the Cubs line up would look something like this:

LF Alfonso Soriano-R
SS Ryan Theriot- R
RF Kouke Fukudome- L
1B Derrek Lee- R
3B Aramis Ramirez- R
2B Mark DeRosa- R
C Geovany Soto- R
CF Felix Pie (for now)

Looking at the line up the big thing that is missing would be a hard nosed 2B, to hit second in the line up, who is a switch hitter, has plenty speed, and can hit the occasional HR. His name is Brian Roberts and he plays in Baltimore. The Cubs are serious about winning, and need to make a move to get Roberts. He can take their offense over the top, from very good, to one of the elite in baseball.

That being said, even without Roberts, Lee and Ramirez are both elite players at their positions, and I like the idea of Fukudome starting off in the 3 hole. He gets good protection, and is in a place to succeed.

J.D. Drew Looks to Bounce Back

J.D. Drew has been around for years now, and has established himself as being a few things. Injury prone, a guy who enjoys a day off now and then, money hungry, and a talent on the ball field. He can hit and plays a good outfield, no matter where he is positioned. The injuries and rumors of having a poor attitude have always held him back and prevented him from becoming an elite player, and has just kept him at the "very good player." For all that Drew does, the media and fans let him know about it, and its rare that he does something without it hitting the news. Most of the time I would love to pile on more Drew bashing right now, and tell you why he is a terrible ball player and human being, but I won't. I actually think Drew will be an excellent sleeper pick this season.

Drew struggled in his first season in Boston, partially because it was his first season in the AL and he had difficulty adjusting to the new pitching. The other reason is much more serious, it stems from his 1 year old son, jack, undergoing extensive surgery to correct a developmental displacement of his hips. The operation left Jack in a cast for 6 weeks, and even the most ardent Drew hater can see how that can effect anybody's performance in any profession they have.

I like Drew to have the season this year he was supposed to have last season. 25HR and 85-90RBI I don't think are out of the question. Keep in mind Drew had a huge September and hit a huge grandslam in the ALCS. That shows that by the end of the year, he was getting his head clear, and making the appropriate adjustments.

Victor Martinez Is Ripped

Won't go too crazy with this one, but word has it V-Mart showed up at the Cleveland Indian's spring training in tremendous shape. He lost 10lbs and added muscle to his frame. This could help his stamina over the course the long season, and build on his .301AVG with 25HR, and 114RBI. If he wasn't one of your top 2-3 catchers to draft he should be now. A few seasons ago Yankees catcher Jorge Posada was showing the ominous signs of age and slowing down, until current Yankee manager Joe Girardi suggest he lose weight in the off season. Posada dropped the pounds and has rebounded back to become an elite catcher once again, despite his age (35). V-Mart was already on top, and the weight loss, can only help him as a hitter and as a catcher.

J-J: Joba and Jeter Make Some News At Yankee Camp

Joba

Yankees phenom Joba Chamberlain has come to camp ready to pitch, and he doesn't care if it's out of the bullpen, or as a starer. It's good to see a young pitcher ready to help out a team in whatever way he can, putting his ego to the side for the good of the organization. When asked if he would rather start of relieve, Chamberlain told reporters, "It doesn't matter to me. Just to be thought of in both aspects I think is an honor."

There has been speculation on both sides as to where Joba's greatest strength would be on the Yankees. We speculated that Joba's greatest strength lies in the bullpen, as the main bridge to Mariano Rivera, and eventually supplanting him as the Yankee closer. Others say that the Yankee rotation is suspect and Joba's arm would be needed to keep it together, and help them
challenge the Red Sox for AL East supremacy.

No matter what he is doing Joba should be a decent guy to draft this season. If he starts the season in the bullpen, he should be a good for ERA, WHIP and if your league counts them, Holds. If he starts the season as a starting pitcher, he should be good for Wins and Ks, and probably ERA and WHIP, although we haven't seen what he can do over the course of 6-7 innings. There were other sayings that he would start as a reliever, and then be moved to a starting role as the season progressed. Either way he is going to be really good and you should draft him.

Jeter

Derek Jeter said he changed his off season work regiment to include more agility, speed, and lateral movement drills. Jeter said that last season he had a lot of problems with his legs, and wanted to be able to get back some quickness and explosiveness that he lacked for parts of last season.

All to often players get older and don't realize, or ignore the fact that they are slipping in parts of the game. At the age of 33, going on 34, it looks like Jeter knows and understands his body is getting older and he is doing the right things to combat it. Keep in mind he hit .322BA last season, with 12HR, 73RBI, 15SB and 102R. Not bad numbers for a SS who battled injuries, and was apart of a line up that really struggled to get it going the first 2 months of the season. Look for his SB total to rise this season, and for him to put up his typical numbers across the board.

MLB Free Agent Personal Ads

It is February 22, and there are still many able bodies without jobs in Major League Baseball. Let's take a look at some of these players and try to figure out where they may end up through the personal ads they posted to FSE.

Antonio Alfonseca
Hey my name is Antonio, I have six fingers and six toes. Last season I was 5-2 with a 5.44 ERA. I'm still single and haven't found anyone who wants me to help them win. I have a history of blowing leads in the late innings and some people are creeped out when they shake my hand. If this sounds like something you would be interested in, email me at: Thesixthfingeristheonethatcounts@badpitcher.com

Armando Benitez
Relief pitcher looking for work here. Would prefer to stay away from New York, specifically the Bronx or Queens. Don't really want to talk about my past, I just want to pitch.

Jose Mesa
I hate Omar Vizquel. Please sign me, I promise I won't ruin your season. I have accumulated over 300 saves in my career and will play for anyone as long as there is a paycheck in it for me. I've played for 9 different teams, but please don't shy away from me because of my past. I still have some good innings left in my arm. Did I mention my name translates to Joe Table?

Bob Wickman
Hey Y'all, I'm Bob and I am a pitcher. Last season I accumulated 40 saves and for some reason I do not have a job. I think 40 saves means I'm pretty good at what I do. Who cares if my Braves teammates thought I gave up on them. I have a nasty sinker and am missing half of my finger. If you are looking for a guy like Joe Borowski, I'm your man!

Bartolo Colon
My name is Bartolo, SHM, seeking long term relationship with a major league team. I'm a little chubby, but people say I'm cute. I have over 10 Billion innings in my arm and hope to pitch again this season.

Jeff Weaver
SWM, very rich and very emotional. I would like to find a team that will pay me to go 8-12 with an ERA over 5. Would prefer to stay away from New York and Detroit.

Ryan Klesko
Outdoors men looking for long term relationship. Big Husky lefty looking for a job DH'ing or standing at first base. Would like to get away from San Diego and be near men who like to go hunting, like my friend Barry Bonds.

Tony Batista
Apparently Japan doesn't want me anymore, is there anyone out there that will take a chance on me? Will work for food.

Julio Franco
Grandaddy looking to take part in spanking. Bat still works and can go deep when needed.

Jeff Cirillo
Don't know why I'm posting here, my skills are much better than a singles ad.

Shannon Stewart
SBM looking for an empty outfield spot. I can give your team a body in the outfield and occasionally hit a home run. I don't offer anything spectacular just looking to be with someone.

Kenny Lofton
I'll be honest with you, I've been around and I'm not looking for anything long-term. Looking for a one night stand - you get yours and I'll get mine.

Shawn Green
SJM seeking a religiously tolerant atmosphere. I can stand in right field for you and hit a few home runs. Last year I was surrounded by younger men who were too naughty for me. I would like to be surrounded by men more my age. Looking to fit in!

Reggie Sanders
I've been in the playoffs almost every year of my career. I can still hit and I don't care where I play. Gun for hire here!

Mike Piazza
Looking for a team that will let me catch, I swear I can still catch. Last year I was in Oakland and they didn't think I could catch and it made me sad. Not only can I help your team's offense, but I can also DJ some nights on your classic rock station!

Sammy Sosa
I told you all I didn't do steroids! I wasn't on that stinking list, now, someone pay me to play baseball! Baseball been very, very good to me! I can still hit home runs and strike out every other at bat. If this sounds like something you are interested in, give me a call. Spainish speaking suitors only I, uh no parle anglais sometimes....

Fantasy Basketball Add Alert - Daniel Gibson Out 4-6 weeks, Grab Wally Szczerbiak

According to reports, Daniel Gibson is out 4-6 weeks with a severely sprained left ankle. He sustained the injury in the second quarter of Tuesday's game against the Pacers, a Cavs win.

Fantasy Impact

Suddenly the trade deadline acquisitions of Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West are looking awfully important for Cleveland. Gibson has been the Cavs's main three point threat this season as well as their most consistent shooter. In his absence, the newly acquired Szczerbiak will see an abundance of playing time and should get plenty of open looks from long range.

Gibson was averaging 30+ minutes and around 5 three point attempts a game before the injury. Wally should see similar playing time (around 30 minutes) and a majority of those offensive touches. Szczerbiak was scoring pretty efficiently in Seattle, averaging 13 points a game in only 23 minutes and connecting on over 42% of his three point attempts. With the added playing time he will see in Cleveland during Gibson's absence, Wally should be good for 15+ points and 2-3 three pointers a night while maintaning a high FT% ( 86% for his career). However, don't expect much more from Wally outside of scoring output as he is a poor defender, rebounder and doesn't get many assists.

New York Giants Looking To Acquire DeAngelo Hall - Trade Analysis & Fantasy Impact

The great Mike Garafolo, Giants beat writer for the The Star-Ledger, is reporting on his blog that the Giants have offered the Atlanta Falcons their first round pick (31 overall) for CB DeAngelo Hall. Hall is scheduled to make 4.22 million in 2008 and is in the last year of his current contract. His arrival would most likely mark the end of Sam Madison and RW Mc Quarters tenures in NY.

Why New York Would Do This

Pairing Hall with young corners Aaron Ross, Corey Webster and Kevin Dockery, gives the giants one of the fastest and most athletic young secondaries in the NFL. The kind of speed Hall brings to the table coupled with his physical style of play fit in perfectly with the Giants' aggressive scheme that puts emphasis on bump and run coverage. His arrival will give defensive coordinator Steve Spagnoulo the opportunity to create more blitz packages that come off the corners and take more chances given Hall's ability as a one on one defender.

Why Atlanta Would Do This

The rebuilding/overhaul continues in Atlanta as Hall would join TE Alge Crumpler as prominent Falcons' players that have been shown the door. The added pick would give the Falcons two in the first round as they already own the #3 pick overall come April.

Fantasy Impact

The Giants started the 2007 season as one of the worst defenses in football after two games. In the 14 regular season games and 4 playoff games that followed they evolved into an excellent unit that warrants consideration among the top 5 in all of the league. The addition of Hall would only add to their value as he is playmaker that can help this defense force more turnovers. Hall has good hands as evidenced by his 17 career INTs and is an excellent fit for Steve Spags' system.

The Giants D will head into the 2008 season as a top 5 fantasy defense, but keep an eye on two things this offseason - the possible retirement of Michael Strahan and loss of Gibril Wilson in free agency -as these could negatively impact this unit and hurt their value a bit.

Looking Ahead to California Speedway, By Looking Back At Daytona- Fantasy Follow

Surprise Top 10

We've looked at the big stuff, now lets look at the smaller things we overlooked, post Daytona.

Q) Any idea what team finished with the most engines in the Top 10.

A) Gillett Evernham Motorsports

Elliott Sadler, Kasey Kahne and Robby Gordon finished in the 6th, 7th and 8th spots respectively in the finishing order of the Daytona 500. While all of the hype (including from us) has gone to great job done by the Penske, and Gibbs' drivers, and the flop the Hendrik cars had, the Gillett Evernham engines have gone under the radar.

Sadler and Kahne are both drivers signed with Gillett Evernham, and we learned a few weeks ago that Robby Gordon Motorsports had signed a technical manufacturing and marketing services agreement with Gillett Evernham. For all the talk that the Penske and Gibbs drivers got for their teamwork and helping each other, many over looked the quiet success that the Gillett Evernham drivers had We predicted earlier that the three drivers could team up together to help each other on the track, and it looks like that is what happened here.

Fantasy Impact

Keep an eye on these three. Perhaps the move to the Gillett Evernham engines will help Robby Gordon more than we first thought. He is a bottom tier driver, and could be a bottom bargain driver to plug in. At worst, as we said earlier, he is a road course stud, and Daytona was just a fluke. Ignore the Robby Gordon infraction and penalty doled out by NASCAR. The penalty had nothing to do with the car he was racing on the track, it stemmed from a prerace inspection that took place more than a week before the race.

Kasey Kahne underachieved greatly last season, and is looking to bounce back, and make a run for the Chase to the Championship. Elliott Sadler... he had a nice beard.


Reed on the Rise

We predicted that Reed Sorenson would make the leap and become a Chase driver this season. Sorenson would finish 5th in the Daytona 500, and is off to a good start. His team didn't do a great job of helping him out, which could be a cause for concern going forward. Juan Pablo Montoya and Dario Franchitti finished 32 and 33 respectively and will need to contribute more to Chip Ganassi racing stable if they Sorenson plans to be a real contender this season.


Who we like this week at the California Speedway

Kurt Busch has won the pole in 3 of the last 4 races at California Speedway, and after his strong finish last week look for him to have continued success and a strong race

Jeff Gordon and Jimmy Johnson should both bounce back this week, and have strong top 10 finishes. Johnson won here last season, and I just cannot see the Hendrik cars struggling again like they did last week.

Matt Kenseth has 8 top 10 finishes at California Speedway, to g along with 2 wins in the last 4 races there. This could be just the tonic Kenseth needs to rebound after a 36th place finish at Daytona.


Lower Guys With Good Value

Fantasy NASCAR players will tell you that it doesn't really matter who your top drivers are, they will finish pretty close together by the end of the race. The difference will come in the lower ranked drivers you choose to start. A top 15 is much different than a 32 place finish. This is why we are going to try to highlight some drivers who most wouldn't think of, and we feel could make or break your week.

Sam Hornish Jr. finished a surprising 15th at Daytona, and has gone under the radar because his Penske teammates faired so much better in week 1. Obviously Hornish is not a guy who you would want to carry your fantasy NASCAR team, but I think as a cheap, 3rd tier driver, he will do just fine.
Brian Vickers- *Sleeper Lock* had a finishing average inside the top 20 in the 2005 and 2006 seasons. He took a step back last season with a finishing average outside of the top 25. He had a strong start to his 2008 season finishing 12th at Daytona, and looks to build on that success at the California Speedway. Despite his struggles last season, California Speedway was one of the few places he did see success with a 10th and 8th place finishes in his starts there last season. He is probably your best bet this week based his success in prior seasons and early success this season.

Scott Riggs, finished 21, and is a consistent pick to finish in the top 25. He won't win many races, but as a lower tier you could do much worse. Again, Riggs' best attribute is that he is consistent.

David Ruetimann's 18th place finish was easy to overlook, but its rather impressive when you take into account he started 42! I have never been a huge fan Ruetimann, but his 24 improvement from start to finish cannot be ignored. He might be a decent option this week

San Diego Padres 2008 Fantasy Team Preview

I currently live in New York, and have visited San Diego twice in my life. The first time was for a wedding, and the second time I went there on vacation. I am afraid to go there again because I know I'll never leave there a third time. So, instead of visiting I have decided to do the San Diego Padres fantasy team preview for us here at FSE.

Starting Line up

RF- Brian Giles
2B- Tadahito Iguchi
1B- Adrian Gonzalez
SS- Khalil Greene
CF- Jim Edmonds
3B- Kevin Kouzmanoff
C- Josh Bard/ Michael Barrett
LF- Scott Hairston

Starting Rotation

Ace - Jake Peavy
#2 - Chris R. Young
#3 - Greg Maddux
#4 - Randy Wolf
#5 - Justin Germano

Projected Bullpen

Closer- Trevor Hoffman

Setup- Heath Bell, Cla Meredeth, Justin Hampson, Kevin Cameron, Joe Thatcher, Carlos Guevarva

Hitters to Draft

Adrian Gonzalez, 1B - hit .282AVG with 30HR, 100RBI and 100R last season, fine numbers for a first baseman. Look for him to improve slightly on these numbers this season, as he matures as a hitter. he met with HOF Tony Gwynn TWICE A WEEK this offseason, to help him work on hitting the ball the opposite way more. He is a legit top 10 1B, who is still young enough and has room to grow into a top 5 1B, despite the fact he plays in Petco Ballpark.

Kevin Kouzmanoff, 3B - I love looking at young players and their second half stats:

I realize the RBI totals did not change whole lot, but across the board the numbers really aren't even close. Look for Kouzmanoff to build on these numbers, which should only help guys like Adrian Gonzalez and Khalil Greene

Kahlil Greene, SS - Hit .254 last season, but Ignore that, and look at these numbers, 1) He was healthy for the season, 2) hit 27 HR, 3) had 97RBI, 4) scored 89R, and played his best down the stretch, when it counted. I grabbed him last season off the waiver wire of a 14 team league last season, and enjoyed every bit of the 8HR, and 23RBI he had over the course of September and October of last season. Keep in mind, for those you in Head to Head leagues, this was the type of guy who could have carried your team into the finals. Depending on what your team needs, he could be a fine SS for your team in the upcoming season.

Pitchers To Draft

Jake Peavy, SP - After years of a being a big strike out guy, Peavy put it all together last season and added a few more wins to his previous totals and finished with 19Ws. He is one of the top 2-3 pitchers in all of baseball, even if he can't get to last season's win total.

Chris Young, SP - His numbers are better than his W total would indicate, and appears to be just hitting his stride as a major leaguer. While he only won 9 games last season, he is have an ERA of 3.12 to go along with 167Ks in only 173innings. Look for his numbers to improve a bit this season, across the board.

Trevor Hoffman, CL - I don't like Hoffman at all. He has bad stuff, blows saves in big spots, and gets beaten by good teams consistently. But, get used to this, "He is what he is." Hoffman consistently has over 40 saves and an ERA under 3.00. The fact he is 40 shouldn't scare you, his bad stuff can't get that much worse than it is. Hoffman is living proof a devastating change up, is indeed the best pitch in baseball. As much as it seems I am trashing Hoffman, keep in mind, I don't have to like a guy, to realize he is a good fantasy option.

Greg Maddux, SP - He was what he was, one of the best ever. Now, he is what he is, an average at best pitcher who can put up and ERA of 3.75 and win between 13-16 games. The numbers aren't great, but at least you know what you are getting. He will turn 42 in early April, and I get the feel Maddux is crafty enough to be able to throw under hand and still get guys out.

Players To Avoid

Jim Edmonds, CF - Before he was just old and injury prone. Now he is old, injury prone, spent all of last season battling post concussion syndrome, and has moved to the worst hitter's park in the NL. The fact he has more room to patrol in CF means he will have more running, diving and injuring of himself to do, while chasing down routine flies so he can make highlight reels.

Brian Giles, RF - Ignore his second half stats, Giles is 36, going on 37 fast. His power numbers haven't been there the last few years, and neither has his speed. Giles has a popular name, but let someone else take him who still thinks its 2002 and Giles is a good sleeper candidate.

Scott Hairston, LF - Someone has to play leftfield. He has been getting a lot of hype as being a good sleeper candidate by a lot of preseason rankings, but I am not buying it. He will hit around 20 homeruns sure, but the batting average won't be there, and he won't put up numbers that are at all overwhelming.

Sleepers

Mark Prior, SP - Most of the time I will tell people to avoid player who are injury prone. Especially in a Head to Head league, where the week to week stats of your players are so important, you can't afford to risk having a guy who you hope will be healthy enough to start from week to week. Prior however, had major surgery, which I believe will clean up most of the nagging injuries that have plagued him throughout his career. He is also taking his time coming back and not rushing to get healthy which, for a guy like Prior, would only injure him more down the road. Take him late and stash him in your DL spot till he is healthy.

Josh Bard, C - Pray for Micheal Barrett to suffer a catastrophic injury and knock him out of the line up for an extended period of time. Bard can hit, he just needs the opportunity to prove it on a full time basis. He is a switch hitter, who hit .285 last season with 5HR, in 389 at bats. Decent numbers for a catcher, but if he wasn't splitting time the numbers would be be even better.

Red Sox Interested in Blanton

According to the Providence Journal's Sean McAdam the Red Sox have had internal discussions about obtaining the Oakland A's, Joe Blanton. The deal being discussed would package disgruntled centerfielder Coco Crisp and a top prospect for the defacto ace.

It is an interesting idea, and there actually could be something to this. Despite the recent development that Curt Schilling might not be able to pitch at all this season, the Red Sox rotation seems pretty well set with Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Tim Wakefield, Jon Lester and Clay Buchholds. However, after the top 2 the rest are a bit questionable.

Wakefield, battled injury last season and claims he is healthy going into the 2008 season and seems enthusiastic about sticking around to get to 200 wins, or top Roger Clemens as the winningest pitcher in Red Sox history. Do not forget, Wakefield missed the World Series last season with a bum shoulder, and it seems odd that a knuckleballer would have to battle an injury like that, making his health questionable going into the 2008 season.

Lester and Buccholds are young guns, with great stuff, who are both capable of putting up stellar numbers over the course of a long season. Of course, as I said, they are young and generally young pitchers have difficulty staying healthy and not breaking down over the course of along season.

The Red Sox would have to pay a decent chunk of Crisp's salary to get a deal like this completed, but it could make sense for both teams. Blanton can eat up innings and would be a solid, stabilizing force in the back end of the Sox rotation. The deal would further the Red Sox as the preseason favorite to repeat as World Series champs.

The A's are clearly in rebuilding mode and could use a steady player to patrol the vast centerfield of McAfee Coliseum. Crisp has become expendable thanks to the emergence of Jacoby Ellsbury, but the real value fo the A's wold be in obtaining a top level prospect from the Sox should this deal happen.

Fantasy Impact

Blanton's value would remain about the same. Sure, he is going to a much better team, but he is also going to a much smaller ball park, in a much better hitting division. He could eek out 15 or so wins, just doing what he does, and keeping his team in ball games.

The fact that this rumor is out there is also a clear indication that you should go into your draft confident about being to draft Ellsbury and not have to worry about his playing time. Ellsbury can hit for average, and steal a base. Look for his power to develo a bit also as his playing time increases.

Coco Crisp, is good for one thing, stolen bases. The A's style of playing ball, does not mesh with his strength, making Crisp essentially useless for fantasy. Let the moron who thinks "Coco Crisp" is a funny name draft him.

Spring Training Fantasy News and Notes: St. Louis, Detroit, Minnesota

St. Louis Cardinals

Manager Tony La Russa announced that the team would be limiting Albert Pujols' spring training at bats, and his involvement in certain throwing drills to minimize the strain on his right elbow tendon. La Russa also indicated he would like to try to find more off time for the slugger during the regular season to try and help him stay fresh throughout the season.

We reported on Pujol's injury earlier, and this is another clear indication that the Cardinals are worried about the status on Albert's elbow tendon. This is another indication that it might be worth your while to pass on Pujols in the first round of your fantasy draft.


Detroit Tigers

Reliever Fernando Rodney is saying that he is experiencing shoulder pain, similar to the pain that cost him time on the disabled last season. Rodney tried to pitch through the pain last season, and he struggled greatly. This season he is going to try to be more careful and pace his comeback a bit better.

It's amazing, but all this does is further the importance of Todd Jones to the Tiger bullpen. People were killing Detroit when they signed Jones, because they had Rodney and Joel Zumaya waiting in the wings. Now, Jones, of his high ERA and nerve racking saves, is once again, solidified as the last man standing for save opportunities in the Detroit bullpen. Expect Jones to get plenty of save ops. especially with the dominant offense Detroit will be sporting this season.

Minnesota Twins

Boof Bonser was all the rage at Minnesota Twins camp when he showed up 30lbs lighter. Many of his teammates had trouble recognizing him in his newly found slim-dom, and he seems to be showing a newly found dedication to his body and career.

OH BABY.. BOOF BONSER lost weight.. HE'S GOING TO BE AWESOME!!! I like Boof. I am a Boof fan. Just don't take this lost weight = better numbers garbage. Boof's ability to pitch will have to be proven in Spring Training and when the season begins, just like the rest of the mediocre starters out there. I get the feeling that Boof might have come to us a bit over rated, because he pitched for small market Minnesota, in the Johan Santana era, and that makes people think that he is automatically going to be a stud pitcher. Do not buy the "lost weight" hype. Wait and see if he actually pitches well, then buy into it.

Bulls, Sonics And Cavs Complete Three Way Trade - Wallace, Wally and Delonte West Headed To Cleveland

ESPN is reporting that the Chicago Bulls, Seattle Supersonics and Cleveland Cavaliers have completed a 3 team trade that will net Lebron James ample support on the offensive and defensive end. The trade is as follows:

Cleveland Gets: Ben Wallace, Joe Smith, Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West and 2nd Round Pick (Bulls)

Seattle Gets: Adrian Griffin, Ira Newble and Donyell Marshall

Chicago Gets: Larry Hughes, Drew Gooden, Cedric Simmons and Shannon Brown

Why Cleveland Did This

Just a great trade for Cleveland as they improve on both ends of the floor and bolster their frontcourt. Their offensive immediately benefits from the additions West and Szczerbiak. West is an underrated true point guard that showed flashes of good skill in Boston last year before being buried on the bench in Seattle this season. He has a good a handle and is a pretty good passer, scorer and defender. The arrival of West allows Lebron to play off the ball more, maximizing his offensive ability.

Wally is a former Ohio high school legend and a pure sharp shooter with an excellent perimeter and long-range shooting touch. He won't give you much on the defensive end or on the boards; however, Szczerbiak will pair with Daniel Gibson to provide the Cavs with two excellent shooters from beyond the arc. Wally's presence will help spread the floor, opening added driving lanes for Lebron and more room to operate for Big Z.

The combination of Ben Wallace and Joe Smith will be more than enough to account for the loss of Drew Gooden and Donyell Marshall in the frontcourt. Smith has been a solid veteran role player in Chicago, displaying an ability to score when given adequate playing time. He will serve as a nice complement to Ilgauskas. Wallace gives the Cavs added toughness inside and makes an already adept defensive squad a bit better. You have to figure a change of scenery to a team with legitimate playoff aspirations will be a good thing for Big Ben.

As much as I hated the previous deal for the Cavs which brought back only Duhon and Wallace, I love this one due to the added offensive boost Cleveland will receive. Szczerbiak and West should more than make up for Ben's ineptness on the offensive end and the inclusion of Joe Smith in the deal gives the Cavs a more offensive minded alternative to Varejao and Wallace when needed.

Why Seattle Did This

Seattle unloads the final big contract on their payroll in the 25 million owed to Szczerbiak over the next 2 years and gains some immediate cap relief. Newble's expiring contract provides Seattle with an extra 3.4 million to spend this summer while Marshall and Griffin will come off the books at the end of next season and gives them 7 million in long-term cap relief or trade chips.

Why Chicago Did This

I still hate this deal for the Bulls and I explained my reasons earlier. Unfortunately, the inclusion of Cedric Simmons and Shannon Brown don't really do much to change my opinion. It is also worth noting that the arrival of Hughes immediately hurts the value of Thabo Sefolosha who has been playing well lately. Bulls fans may want to start bringing sturdy umbrellas to the United Center on gameday as the forecast for the new Bulls backcourt of Hughes, Hinrich and Gordon calls for a 100% chance of bricks.

**Update (5pm) - The Akron Beacon Journal is reporting that Shannon Brown may be headed to the Sonics rather than the Bulls. Stay Tuned, this one may morph a bit before all is said and done.

Ben Wallace To Cavs Update/Rant - Duhon, Hughes, WHY?

Chad Ford is reporting that a deal sending Ben Wallace to the Cavs is close; however, Cleveland is now insisting that Chicago take on Larry Hughes' contract in the deal. The original trade would have sent Wallace, Chris Duhon and possibly Joe Smith to Cleveland for Drew Gooden, Shannon Brown, Ira Newble, Devin Brown and Cedric Simmons.

Newer reports from Ford and Bucher indicate that the Cavs are now offering some form of Drew Gooden and/or Larry Hughes for Chris Duhon and Ben Wallace with extra pieces to make the money work.

Trade Analysis

I mean talk about making a trade just to make a trade and "shake things up." This trade doesn't make the Bulls any better. The prospects of a Hughes, Gordon and Hinrich backcourt is enough to make any basketball rim cringe. The trio could end up building more houses across the country than Habitat For Humanity. Gooden should be a slight upgrade over Wallace but if the Bulls were smart they'd give his burn to Joakim Noah and Tyrus Thomas.

Then there are the Cavs who actually find a way to make themselves more inept offensively by dealing Hughes' 15-16 points a night and exchanging Gooden's low post scoring for the corpse fomerly known as Ben Wallace. Big Ben should make the Cavs marginally better on defense while making them twice as inefficient offensively. Big Z better get ready for constant double teams because Wallace is nothing more than a blackhole with an afro on the offensive end.

I do like Duhon as he is a true point guard and will allow Lebron to play off the ball more, however I am just not sure if he can take on the added scoring load created by the departures of Gooden and Hughes.

Ben Wallace to the Cavs Rumors

ESPN.com's Chad Ford is reporting that there are rumors of Ben Wallace being traded from the Bulls to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The deal would be Wallace for Drew Gooden, Ira Newble, Shannon Brown and Cederic Simmons.

The deal would give the Cavs some help in the middle and a body to bang around and take hits in the paint for LeBron James. The Cavs will have to do something to help LeBron and get that team to a championship level

Kansas City Royals 2008 Fantasy Preview

In 2007, the young Royals finished 69-93, the third worst record in baseball behind the Tampa Rays and Pittsburgh Pirates. KC's roster is full of young, talented players who all have the worst thing any fantasy player can possess... Potential. This team potentially can compete this season and have 2-3 All Stars, but also could finish in last place again since they are in the toughest division in baseball.

The good thing about the Royals is that they are anchored by home grown talent. This group of guys which includes Alex Gordon and Billy Butler has been together throughout their professional careers and had a chance to grow as a unit. Many teams have gone on to prosper in these situations, it just takes time for it to come together. Could this happen for the Royals? Maybe not this year, but they will be fun to watch.

Off Season Moves

The Royals have made a few savvy off season moves in to improve their roster. Adding Jose Gullien gives them some fire in the clubhouse and a solid bat in left field. Brett Tomko looks to find a spot in the rotation and Yasuhiko Yabuta looks to take his talents from Japan to Kansas City as a dominant reliever.

Projected Positional Starters

C- John Buck
1B- Ross Gload
2B- Mark Grudzielanek
SS- Tony Pena
3B- Alex Gordon
LF- Jose Gullien
CF- David Dejesus
RF- Mark Teahan
DH- Billy Butler

Projected Starting Rotation

Ace - Gil Meche
2- Brian Bannister
3- Zack Greinke
4- Kyle Davies
5- Jorge De La Rosa/ Brett Tomko/ Luke Hochevar

Projected Bullpen

Closer- Joakim Soria

Middle Relievers - Jimmy Gobble, Joel Peralta, Ron Mahay and Yasuhiko Yabuta.

Also Invited to Camp

Hideo Nomo
Brandon Duckworth
Brian Lawrence
Mike Maroth

** - Keep an eye on these journeyman starters, if one of them has a decent spring they will be given a chance on the big league roster.

Hitters to Draft

Billy Butler, DH/1B - In 92 games last season Billy Butler came up to the majors and proved he can hit big league pitching. Butler is one of the two gems in the Royals system. He looks to be the DH this season, but he also has 1B eligibaility. Look for Butler to have a break out year.

Alex Gordon, 3B - The other gem in the Royals system didn't have the same start as his partner in crime Butler. Gordon struggled in his rookie season and only batted .247. He did hit 15 Homeruns and since third base is pretty thin, he looks to be a solid pick for years to come.

Mark Teahan, RF - A decent outfield option, Teahan will hit around 280-290 range with 10-15 Homeruns and 70 RBIs. Consider him late in your draft.

Jose Gullien, LF - The prize signing of the Royals off season. Gullien is a guy who will bat near .300 and provide 20-30 Homeruns with around 100 RBI. With the young talent around him Gullien should have a solid season. Hopefully he will get along with all of his teammates...

Pitchers to Draft

Joakim Soria, CL - Soria came out of nowhere last season to take over the Royals closer position. He was 17/21 in save situations and looks to be the man again this spring. The Royals have a solid hitting team with speed and a pitching staff that should keep games close. Look for Soria to have many save opportunities this season.

Gil Meche, SP - Even though he only went 9-13 last season, he did have an ERA of 3.67 and had 156 strikeouts. Meche isn't dazzling with his numbers or his stuff but he will help with ERA and Strikeouts.

Brian Bannister, SP - Bannister went 12-9 with a 3.87 ERA in 2007 and has a chance to improve on his numbers this year. Bannister is a young and up and coming starter who should have double digit wins again this season and provide help in ERA. It's a shame the Mets traded Bannister for Ambriorix Burgos.

Sleepers

Mark Grudzielanek, 2B - He batted over .300 last season and will most definitely be available late in many drafts. He's a good value pick at the second base.

Ross Gload, 1B - Gload is simply a solid player that you can drfat late and still get value. If you need a first basemen late in the draft, take a chance on Gload, he will provide solid defense and help your team batting average.

Yasuhiko Yabuta, MR - The Royals are looking to get lucky with this signing. Yabuta was a dominant reliever in Japan and looks to be the main set up man for Soria. He is 34 years old and considering he pitched in Japan for all these years, that's like being 54 in American years.

Luke Hochevar- Hochevar had his cup of tea with the big club last year and proved that his will live up to the "FUTURE STAR" hype. If Hochaver proves his skills in spring trainig, look for him to fil the number 5 spot in the Royals rotation. He is young and very raw so be careful and expect some speed bump along the way.

Players to Avoid

John Buck - He batted .222 last season and looks to be competing for his job in spring training. He doesn't do anything for you offensively, trust me on this becuase I drafted him last season.

Ryan Shealy- I also drafted Ryan Sheally last season and expected big things from him. .221 with 3 Homeruns are not what I call big things. Now Sheally finds himself behind Ross Gload and Billy Butler. Shealy is turning into the 2008 version of Bucky Jacobson.

Byung-Hyun Kim Headed To Pittsburgh Fantasy News

In a small move made Wednesday the Pittsburgh Pirates signed Byung-Hyun Kim to a one year deal worth $850,000 but could be worth over $1 million after performance incentives.

This really isn't blockbuster news, but it is interesting because Pittsburgh GM Neal Huntington, said that Kim was not signed as a starting pitcher, and their only interest in him was as a reliever. Kim once thrived in the bullpen, but after those pesky homeruns he gave up in the 2001 World Series, Kim was never the same coming out of the pen, and has spent the last few years as a mediocre, injury plagued, starting pitcher.

I think given that what happened in the World Series was more than 6 years ago, Kim could rejuvenate his career in the bullpen. He will certainly get called on plenty, as the Pirates do not have a proven right hander to come out of the per to set up for closer extraordinaire Matt Capps.
If your league counts Holds, Kim might be a good late round guy to take a flier on.

Kurt Thomas Headed To San Antonio

The San Antonio Spurs have acquired Kurt Thomas from the Seattle Supersonics in exchange for Francisco Elson, Brent Barry and a 2009 first round pick.

Why San Antonio Did This

The addition of veteran PF/C Kurt Thomas gives the Spurs a tough, physical defender to bang down low as well as an excellent rebounder on both the offensive and defensive boards. The Spurs did not sacrifice much in this deal as they gave up two guys that had fallen out of the rotation and added a player with an expiring contract. 

Elson had fallen out of favor in San Antonio with Francisco Oberto getting much of the burn at center while Brent Barry's shooting slack can be picked up fairly easily by a combination of Michael Finley and Ime Udoka who was acquired this offseason and is a superior defender to Barry. Thomas is a clear upgrade at center over Oberto or Elson and will serve as an excellent complement to Tim Duncan. 

Why Seattle Did This

Seattle gets  8.5 million dollars in expiring money in adding Elson and Barry; however, Thomas' contract is also expiring at season's end and is worth a little over 8 million. So in reality the Sonics get a 2009 first round pick out of this deal, most likely to fall in the late 20s, and save about 500k against the cap after the season. This is a fairly unimpressive haul by the Sonics as Kurt Thomas' value on the court coupled with his expiring deal should have allowed the teamto dump a bad contract in the deal. 

Fantasy Implications

San Antonio Spurs

Thomas should see good playing time at center in San Antonio, probably around 25-30 minutes a night. The Spurs have plenty of scorers with Parker, Ginobili and Duncan along with their host of perimeter shooters, so Thomas's main responsibilities will be rebounding and defending. He should continue to be a good source of rebounds (averaging 8.8/game on the season) and should contribute in blocks while putting up 6-8 points a night. In addition, keep an eye out for Ime Udoka given the departure of Barry and recent struggles of Michael Finley. 

Seattle Supersonics

Brent Barry's small forward is currently being manned by this guy named Kevin Durant up in Seattle and I have a feeling he won't be unseating KD anytime soon. Barry definitely becomes an immediate buyout candidate. Elson joins a crowded Seattle frontcourt and should continue to be a non-factor in fantasy basketball. 

Spring Training News & Notes - Tigers, Giants, Angels, and Dodgers

Detroit Tigers

Detroit Tigers DH/ outfielder Gary Sheffield says his surgically repaired right shoulder feels great, and he has been swinging pain free for a while now. Sheffield was on his way to having a great season last year, before a minor labral tear cost him most of his power. Look for Sheffield to bounce back and have another fine fantasy season. I would be bit weary of the 39 year old Sheffield, because he has been injury prone the last few seasons and there is no reason to think he will make it through the 2008 season, completely healthy either.

San Francisco Giants

The Giants have given 1B candidate Dan Ortmeier a full time tutor to help him in his transition to first, a good indication that they are committed to giving him serious playing time there to start the season. Former Giants 1B J.T. Snow has been assisting Ortmeier learn the nuances and intricacies of playing first, as well as things to look for and expect.

We listed Ortmeier as a potential sleeper in our Giants season preview, but he could put up Lyle Overbay type numbers a whole lot later than Overbay will go in your league's draft. Read on and you'll see why you should take Ortmeier ahead of Casey Kotchman as well.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

 
Look out Casey Kotchman lovers, the Angels plan on giving Juan Rivera an extended look over at first base. It looks like the Angels might be hoping to platoon Rivera and Kotchman over at first base. Kotchman hit a limited number of homeruns last season for a 1B (11HR), and hit none against lefties. This could be the Angels way of lighting a fire under Kotchman, or it could mean there is a platoon in the works. In Rivera's last full season (2006) he hit 23 HR with 85 RBI, more important in this case, he had a .970 OPS against left handed pitching.

This is the exact opposite of what the Giants are doing for Ortmeier. Move Kotchman off of your potential sleepers for first base. The season hasn't even started yet, and the Angels are showing they do not have faith in the young hitter. This could also be a signal that there still might be something to those Paul Konerko rumors we heard earlier this winter.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Dodger's shortstop Rafael Furcal says that he is "feeling 100 percent" entering Spring Training and is healthier than he was all last season. Many people forget that Furcal started last season on the DL, with a sprained ankle he suffered late in Spring Training.

Furcal is terrific sleeper SS, who will go later in the draft than he should. He was a top 3-4 SS before the ankle injury zapped him of his ability to put solid swings on the ball, and hurt his speed on the base paths. He put up numbers far below what we are used to seeing from him, so expect him to come back and reestablish himself as not only one of the best SS in the game, but one of the best players.

Fantasy Basketball Add Alert - Devin Harris Out Two More Weeks, Grab Marcus Williams

ESPN is reporting that PG Devin Harris will miss at least two more weeks before joining his new team, the New Jersey Nets.

Fantasy Impact

With Harris out for at least two weeks, Marcus Williams becomes the unquestioned starting point guard in New Jersey for a minimum of the next 7-8 games. Williams is an excellent passer and an unselfish playmaker at point guard with the ability to tally double-digit assist numbers. In addition, he can help fantasy teams in three pointers and scoring while shooting a high percentage from the free throw line (86% career FT shooter).

Williams has PG and SG eligibility and should be looking at 30+ minutes a night over the next 2 weeks. Expect averages of 12 points and 6-8 assists a night from Williams along with a three pointer and steal making him an excellent short-term option at point guard. Further, if Vince Carter is traded by the deadline, Williams will have added scoring opportunities and could see a rise in his point production.

Bartolo Colon Close To Signing With The White Sox

Impacto Deportivo and MLB Trade Rumors are reporting that Bartolo Colon and the Chicago White Sox have come to an agreement on a deal pending a physical. Given Colon's injury-ridden 2006 and 2007 seasons, one would have to assume this is a one year deal.

Fantasy Impact

Colon is a former Cy Young winner who put together eight very strong seasons between 1998-2005 pitching primarily for the Cleveland Indians and Anaheim Angels. The last two years, Colon has struggled with a series of injuries and been limited to only 29 starts going a dismal 7-13 with an ERA well over 5.

In Chicago, Colon would most likely be the fourth starter behind Mark Buerhle, Javier Vasquez and Jose Contreras if he proves healthy and effective. In addition, Colon's presence in the rotation will most likely force John Danks or Gavin Floyd to compete for the #5 spot while the other guy becomes the long reliever.

In his prime, Colon was a dominant power pitcher, capable of registering ample strikeout totals. He also played on some good Cleveland and Anaheim teams and won a lot of games. In Chicago with his health and skills diminished he will be playing for an average ball club and pitching in a hitter's park. If everything breaks right for Colon, he could be a source of a few wins and strikeouts, but he certainly isn't a guy to lean on in your fantasy baseball pitching staff. Take a late flier on him on draft day and see if he pans out.

Cincinnati Reds 2008 Fantasy Season Preview

A better fantasy team than they are a real team, the Cincinnati Reds are the next team up in the FSE Fantasy Team Preview series.

Projected Lineup

CF Ryan Freel
2B Brandon Phillips
RF Ken Griffey Jr.
LF Adam Dunn
3B Edwin Encarnacion
1B Joey Votto
C David Ross
SS Alex Gonzalez

Projected Starting Rotation

Ace - Aaron Harang
#2 - Bronson Arroyo
#3 - Matt Belisle
#4 - Edinson Volquez
#5 - Homer Bailey/Jeremy Affeldt

Projected Bullpen

Closer- Fransisco Cordero

Middle Relievers - David Weathers, Jared Burton, Mike Stanton, Bill Bray, Todd Coffey, Gary Majewski, Marcus McBeth, Brad Salmon, Jon Coutlangus

Hitters to Draft

Brandon Phillips, 2B - Um... did anyone else notice Phillips went 30/30 last season? For all the hype Chase Utley will get for being the top ranked 2B, Phillips is the one who really deserves the honor. He turns 27 this season, and according to fantasy lore, this means he is entering his prime. Look for him to improve his power numbers a bit this season, probably adding a couple of HR and RBI while stealing a few less bases.

Adam Dunn, LF - He strikes out too much and hits for a low batting average. Yeah, we know all the negatives, now here is the reality. First off, most fantasy leagues don't count strike outs against hitters. Second, can you name the only 4 players who have averaged 40HR, 100RBI and 1OO runs scored the last three seasons? Answer: Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols, David Ortiz and Adam Dunn; that is some pretty elite company. The first 2 are legit first round picks (if not the first pick) consistently every season while Ortiz is one of the best hitters in the game, but limited in fantasy due to his DH-only eligibility. Dunn is among the most over looked players in fantasy baseball because most of his press focuses on what he can't do and not enough on what he does. Dunn will consistently fill up the power categories and gets on base at a good clip due to his good walk totals.

Edwin Encarnacion, 3B - I am a big fan of second half stats and in the second half of last season (67 games) Encarnacion hit .309, with 40RBI, 34r and 10HR. All were a improvement over his first half stats despite playing in 5 less games. Encarnacion can also steal a few bases, which over the course of a Head to Head season, makes him a bit more valuable than some other 3B out there.

Pitchers To Draft

Aaron Harang, SP - The last of the aces who will get drafted, Harang plays in one of the best hitter's parks in the NL and is still a lock for 200IP, 200K and 15W. If he ever escapes Cincy and Great American Ballpark, he is a guy who has the potential to be among the elite pitchers in fantasy.

Francisco Cordero, CL - A good closer who will collect a bunch of saves because Cincinnati's starting pitching isn't good enough to win too many games outright yet the offense is strong enough to keep them close. I actually like Cincinnati's setup men this season to help bridge the gap to Cordero, despite their injuries and struggles last season.

Players to Avoid

Ken Griffey Jr., RF - He might finish with 35HR and 80-90 RBI, but if there is one other thing Griffey does well, it's miss games in September. In Head to Head leagues you cannot risk losing a bat like Griffey's in the middle of your fantasy baseball playoffs. It is better to draft a healthy player who you know will be out there consistently rather than and injury plagued hitter, who always, always goes down in September and can't finish a season strong.

Ryan Freel, CF - Is slated to start the season as the Reds' centerfielder, but has always been too injury prone to stay on the field for an extended period of time. He is very fast and can steal a base, but his best strength isn't his speed, it is his versatility as a utility man. Never thought I would say this, but he is a Chone Figgins Light. However, while Figgins can play all over the field (and stay on the field) everyday, Freel has proven time and time again, he cannot be trusted to stay healthy on a daily basis.

Sleepers

Norris Hopper, OF - Speedy outfielder, similar to the make up of a Ryan Freel, only he can stay healthy. He doesn't have much...any... power so don't draft him hoping for 10/30 or anything like that. He seems more like a Juan Pierre type, and if drafted with the right fantasy make up around him, that ain't bad.

Joey Votto, 1B - A first base prospect who went 20/20 last season in the minors and hit well in his September stint in the majors. He is slotted to start at 1B this season with Scott Hatteberg penciled in as his back up. Hatteberg could take some at bats from him if he slumps at all during the season, but Look for Votto to get the majority of at bats, and even help out with the occasional stolen base.

Nets Trying To Trade Vince Carter

Rod Thorn crossed Jason Kidd off of his List of Things To Do, and now finds himself staring at the name of one Vince Carter. League sources have confirmed rumors to ESPN.com's Chris Sheridan that the New Jersey Nets are looking at various deals to try and trade the fledgling star out of New Jersey and to a bench near you. The New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers are early favorites to land Carter, and while Carter's contract is one issue, the bigger issue might be the lack of time before Thursdays' trade deadline.

FANTASY IMPACT

It is pretty obvious that Rod Thorn is trying to open up playing time for newly acquired Keith Van Horn... Just Kidding!!! The Nets are clearly trying to dump payroll and add young talent before they make the move to Brooklyn in 2010, and are doing a great job of doing both. Carter's act got old in Toronto, and got old faster than Robin Williams did in the movie, "Jack," in New Jersey. His play hard, and give it your all.. until you sign a big money, long term contract, attitude has been exposed once again, and will be better off going to another new place.

When Carter wants to be he is one of the top 5 players in the league, who can drain a 3, drive the lane, and can dominate an opponent at any time. When he plays like he did this season, he is nothing more than a solid scorer, who doesn't contribute much else.

According to different rumors, the Nets could land Jermaine O'Neal from the Pacers, or the expiring contracts of Jason Williams and Ricky Davis from Miami. The Miami trade would actually send Carter to the Knicks, with Eddie Curry going to Miami and the 2 aforementioned players heading to NJ.

Fantasy Basketball Market Watch - 2/19/2008

The first half of arguably the best NBA season in the last 15 years is behind us and tonight begins the 30 game push to the playoffs. On Saturday, we took a look back at the First Half Fantasy Basketball All-Stars and highlighted the best players at each position through 52 games.

In this edition of Market Watch, we focus on the guys who are entering the second half hot or have experienced increases in fantasy value due to the myriad of trades featuring superstar-caliber players.

UPGRADES

Simply Red Hot

Monta Ellis, PG/SG Golden State Warriors - Monta Ellis' thus far in February have made him as this week's Market Watch poster boy. In his last 5 games dating back to February 1st, Ellis is averaging 27.8 points, 6 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.2 steals a game while shooting a ridiculous 69% from the field; all well above his season averages. In addition, Ellis has two 30+ point scoring games during this span. He had only three games over 30 points entering the month. Ellis appears to be fully established as the starting shooting guard alongside Baron Davis and with Mickael Pietrus toiling away in the dog house and demanding trades, it appears Ellis should continue to see big minutes with little competition.

Larry Hughes, PG/SG Cleveland Cavaliers - The man who was so bad it caused a group of Cavs fan to create a website called HeyLarryHughesPleaseStopTakingSoManyBadShots.com (It's a real site, check it out!) has enjoyed sweet redemption in the month of February. In his last 6 games dating back to February 5th, Hughes is averaging over 21 points, 5 rebounds and 2 three pointers a game while shooting a much-improved 47% from the field. Hughes has been especially hot in his past two games putting up 40 and 26 points in consecutive games. The Cavs need Hughes to continue his strong play and serve as a legitimate second option to Lebron. The recent trade of Mike Bibby to Atlanta exasperates that point as the trade market is now a bit devoid of good offensive options.

Peja Stojakovic, SG/SF New Orleans Hornets - Peja is like your classic fantasy three point gunner on crack. Peja ranks third in the NBA in three pointers made with 139; however, his output has come in on 46 games compared to Rashard Lewis and Jason Richardson who needed 53 games to accumulate 143 and 150 3s respectively. In fact, 56% of Peja's point production has come solely from three pointers. He is enjoying his finest month in February, putting up season highs across the board averaging over 22 points, 5 rebounds and a stellar 4 three pointers in his last 6 games. Peja's fantasy strengths are clearly scoring and three pointers; however, he can also contribute in rebounds, steals and FT % (shooting 93% on the season). The young Hornets will continue to lean on Peja for scoring from beyond the arc to stretch defenses and if he stays healthy 20 points and 3+ three pointers a game are good bets.   

It Was Great Playing With You... Need Help With Your Bags?

Beno Udrih, PG Sacramento Kings - The departure of Mike Bibby allows Udrih to regain the starting point guard spot in Sacramento. Beno flourished early in the season, averaging around 14 points and 5 assists along with around 1 steal and three pointer. Bibby's return in January derailed Beno's season, sending him back to the bench and killing his fantasy value. Expect numbers similar to what he was averaging when getting 30+ minutes on a consistent basis the rest of the way. For more analysis on the Bibby trade, click here.

Raja Bell, SG Phoenix Suns - With Shawn Marion attempting to establish himself as "the man" in Miami rather than trying to win a championship in Phoenix, Raja Bell should become a bigger part of the Suns' offense in the second half, especially from behind the three point stripe. Bell has seen more minutes since Marion left, averaging nearly 40 minutes a night and with the added playing time has come a marginal increase in production. The upgrade of Bell is based more on my personal opinion rather than statistical analysis but I feel Raja has a chance to see a rise in his production to 15+ points and 3 three pointers a game making him a strong option down the stretch. Bell can also contribute in rebounds, steals and FT% (shooting 93% on the season).

DOWNGRADES

Boris Diaw, PF/C Phoenix Suns - In contrast to Mr. Bell, the arrival of Shaq will take away playing time from Diaw, dropping his minutes to under 30 minutes a game. Diaw has already had a subpar season, failing to average double digits in points and putting up mediocre rebounding and assist numbers. Diaw's production won't improve with the Diesel manning the middle and taking away offensive touches.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas, C Cleveland Cavaliers - The Z-train is having a good season averaging a career high in rebounds while putting up good numbers in scoring and blocks. Unfortunately, back spasms have slowed down the big guy in February. He has seen his minutes drop over the past 5 games in which he is averaging only 8.5 points and 7 rebounds, well below his season averages. As long as Z is hobbled by his back, his production will suffer and the possibility will persist he could miss some time.

Spring Training News & Notes - Cubs Top Closer Candidate, Yanks In Good Shape, David Ortiz Takes Batting Practice

Lou Piniella told WGN-TV in Chicago that Bob Howry is in the lead to replace Ryan Dempster as the Cubs closer. We reported this back in our Cubs Season Preview and it was confirmed today, by the the Cubs manager himself. Howry has the most experience, and filled in admirably for Dempster last season.

After Howry the other two candidates are;

Carlos Marmol who has great stuff, but the not a ton of major league experience closing games. he proved himself to be a valuable set up last year, so expect to see him flourish in that role this season.

Kerry Wood, has proven to be too injury prone to throw every 5 days, consistently. So the Cubs decided that having him throw an inning or so here and there at any time, would be better for his health. Don't take him seriously as a candidate to get any saves. He'll continue to battle injury, and struggle to find consistency on the hill in his new role.


In other news, Johnny Damon and Bobby Abreu have both reported to Yankee camp in much better shape than they appeared in last season. The two lefties struggled mightily the first couple months of the season, and were a big reason for the Yanks slow start last year.

Manager Joe Girardi met with Damon at the GM meetings in November and explained to Damon the expectations that they are holding him to and how they wanted him to show up to camp. Abreu, well he's in a contract year, and everyone is at their best in a contract season.




Finally, Red Sox DH David Ortiz took batting practice in a cage at Red Sox camp and said that his surgically repaired knee felt good was almost there. Ortiz had surgery on his right knee shortly after the World Series to repair some cartilage he had damaged in a game against the Yankees in 2006.


FANTASY IMPACT

Cubs Closer Situation: You can probably get Howry a bit later in the draft than you could a closer who will be on a team that will battle for a Division Title. He is a definite draft night steal. If you want to feel more comfortable and "handcuff" the situation draft Marmol also. At worst he will help ERA, strikeouts, WHIP and (if your league counts the stat) Holds. At best, Howry blows two consecutive saves in April, the media go nuts and Piniella announces that Howry will start the next game. Then, Pinella will change his mind and announce that Howry will remain the closer. Then, expect Marmol to get a save later that evening.

Yankees Outfield Shape: Damon and Abreu picked it up when they got healthy and both went on to have very good seasons. Since they were both so terrible in April and May, they could go under the radar a bit this season, and be drafted later than they should be.

David Ortiz hit .332AVG with 35HR and 117RBI, with a BAD KNEE last season. Draft the slugging DH and enjoy an elite slugger. Don't complain about his limited position eligibility either, his numbers are good enough that you should be able to accept that limitation.

Hunter Pence "Crash" Translated

Hunter Pence crashed through a sliding glass door in the bathroom of his spring training home Monday night and ended up in the emergency room with multiple cuts all over his body. The injury will sideline him for a week. We found some quotes from Hunter Pence regarding the accident and will do our best to translate them from Athlete into English.

HP - "It's pretty silly that this kind of a freak accident happened"

FSE Translation - "This is something that only happens to people in horror movies, or drunk people" (FSE Editorial- While I have never been the former, I have been the latter, so can posit as to which Mr. Pence was experiencing when this occured.)

HP - "I just didn't see the door and jumped through it,"

FSE Translation - "Those pesky doors come out of no where sometimes. I couldn't avoid jumping through glass."

HP - "I have small cuts everywhere."

FSE Translation - "Small body parts generally have small cuts."

HP - "I didn't really think I'd go through a glass door,"

FSE Translation- "No one ever does anticipate going through a glass door, I thought that only happens in action movies featuring Wesley Snipes or Stephen Seagal. Boy I wish I had Under Siege 2 on DVD." (FSE Editorial- What a moron. How many people ever crash through a glass door, expecting it to happen.)

Pence said that a "friend" had closed the door behind them, and that is why he did not expect it to be closed when he went through it. We are sure by "friend" he meant piece of tail he scored, after a night out on the town.

Fantasy Impact

As long as Pence opens the clubhouse door the old-fashioned way, by turning the handle and pulling/pushing the door, rather than trying to project himself through it when going onto the field, he should have a fine 2008 season.

Jason Kidd Officially A Dallas Maverick - Keith Van Horn Stumbles Upon Another Pay Check

It's official, Jason Kidd is headed back to the team that drafted him 2nd overall back in 1994. Mark Cuban informed ESPN via email earlier this afternoon that "J-Kidd is a Mav" putting an end to the 3-ring circus that has surrounded both parties since Devean George invoked a no-trade clause which killed the initial deal. We provided a thorough analysis of the Kidd Trade a few days ago. Not much has changed in this revised version from a fantasy standpoint.

The reincarnation of the Kidd trade includes a revamped cast of salary dumps for New Jersey, no 30-day rest for Jerry Stackhouse, the inclusion of Antoine Wright and a nice pay day for the original great white hope, Keith Van Horn:

Dallas Gets: Jason Kidd, Malik Allen and Antoine Wright

New Jersey Gets: Devin Harris, DeSagna Diop, Trenton Hassell, Maurice Ager, Keith Van Horn and two first round picks (Dallas' 2008 and 2010) and $3 million in cash.

Essentially, Trenton Hassell and Keith Van Horn replace Stackhouse and Devean George in the deal while Antoine Wright, who was headed to Dallas in a seperate trade, is included along with cash to make the money work. I guess all that speculation about Van Horn leaving the $4.3 million guaranteed on the table because he's a "family man with many business interests" never materialized. Shocker.

Houston Astros 2008 Fantasy Team Preview

The Astros had a down year last season, and are looking to rebound as they head into the 2008 season. GM Ed Wade brought in Miguel Tejada, Michael Bourne and Kazuo Matsui to help bolster the offense surrounding sluggers Carlos Lee and Lance Berkman. The GM also traded away incumbent closer Brad Lidge and brought in Jose Valverde from the Arizona Diamond Backs. They made a lot of moves, now lets see what will work and what won't.

Projected Positional Starters

CF- Michael Bourn
2B- Kaz Matsui
SS- Miguel Tejada
1B- Lance Berkman
LF- Carlos Lee
RF- Hunter Pence
3B- Ty Wigginton
C- J.R. Towles

Projected Starting Staff

Ace - Roy Oswalt
2 - Wandy Rodrigruez
3 - Woody Williams
4 - Brandon Backe
5 - Chris Sampson

Projected Bullpen

Closer- Jose Valverde

Middle Revlievers - Geoff Geary, Doug Brocail, Oscar Villarreal, Mark S. McLemore, Dave Borkowski, Chad Paronto

Players to Draft

Hitters

Carlos Lee, LF - Perennial threat to hit 35HR with 15SB, and a lock for 100+ RBI. He is really an elite bat, who consistently goes under the radar a bit. He is consistently healthy and plays in 150+ games every season, to boot. He is prone to first or second half slumps, so be a bit weary if you draft him in a Head to Head league.

Lance Berkman, 1B - Slumped badly at times last season but still managed a stellar year. For the season he hit, .278 with 35 HR but the numbers are a little deceiving because he picked it up in the second half hitting .295 with 19 HRin only 69 games. Look for Berkman to have a fine 2008 season adding to his HR totals and driving in more runs with the benefit of a more potent lineup.

Miguel Tejada, SS - Is still one of the better hitting SS in all of baseball despite having a down year in 2007 - perhaps the B-12 shots were wearing off. Look for a Renaissance season from Tejada in his move from hitter friendly Camden Yards, to even hitter friendlier Minute Maid Park in Houston.

Hunter Pence, RF - Pence had a fine rookie season, putting up double digit HR and SB totals. His minor league numbers indicate that this was no fluke and you should expect the young slugger to improve this season. He is projected to be moved down in the bating order, which is causing some to rank him lower than he should be. He is a good hitter, and a good hitter will hit no matter where he is in the lineup.

Pitchers

Roy Oswalt, SP - The ace will get plenty of run support with the new offense in town, so he should be a lock to win 17 games. He had a fine season last year and while his ERA numbers were a bit higher than they were in previous years, they were still very good. Some might say Oswalt's numbers might indicate some regression in his play, however, all pitchers should be so lucky as to regress to a 3.18 ERA. He is a top tier pitcher, in the echelon of Josh Beckett and Roy Halladay, but may be drafted with the likes of Chien Ming Wang and Brad Penny due to an off year by his lofty standards.

Jose Valverde, CL - Had a career season last year and will be counted on to shoulder the closing load this season in Houston. He has been injury plagued in the past and that has kept him from developing into the elite closer he was last year. Even if he gets hurt there is no one in this bullpen who could take his spot for an extended period of time.

Sleepers

Michael Bourn, CF - Speedy center fielder could put up 2007 Juan Pierre type numbers in his first season as a full time starter. He should struggle to get on base a bit, but is still a good bet for 40 stolen bases this season.

J.R. Towles, C - It is tough to find a good catcher in the draft, but Towles could be a good late round sleeper candidate. With guys like Dioner Navarro getting a lot of pre-season draft hype, Towles will slip under the radar and probably won't be drafted in most leagues. His minor league numbers show he can hit and incumbent catcher Brad Ausmus has already given his full support to the youngster. Of course, Ausmus could take at bats from him if management decides to go with a more veteran catching presence as the season wears on. Keep an eye on the Astros catching situation in spring training.

Players to Avoid

Kaz Matsui, 2B- Is known to be injury prone and has plenty of players behind him who could take his spot should he struggle. He does not provide a whole bunch in the power department and there are going to be a lot of players you could and should draft before him. Don't be fooled, 2B is remarkably deep this season, biting on a guy like Matsui isn't worth it in any round of a fantasy draft.

Ozzie Guillen Declares Josh Fields the Starter

Ozzie Guillen has declared Josh Fields his starting 3B to start the season, until at least incumbent 3B Joe Crede can prove himself healthy. Crede is coming off an injury plagued 2007 season, which ended early as he was forced to have back surgery. Guillen went on to say that Crede has looked good during the first two days of spring training, but would need to remain healthy and stay on the field consistently before he would consider moving back in as the starter.

Fantasy Implications

Fields is younger, can hit for more power and is healthier than Crede. In only 373 ABs in 2007, Fields put up 23 HRs and 67 RBIs. The additions of Swisher and Orlando Cabrera should improve the OBP at the front-end of the White Sox lineup, giving guys like Fields, Konerko and Dye added RBI opportunities.

Look for the White Sox to showcase Crede in spring training, then trade him before the season begins. The most likely destination is San Francisco, where he has been rumored to be going all winter long. A move to San Fran and to a spacious, pitcher's ball park would kill any semblance of fantasy value Crede had left.

Kidd Trade: "appears to be a go."

According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, the Nets and Dallas Mavericks have a conference call set up for early Tuesday to discuss with league officials the many sored details of the trade that will send Jason Kidd to Dallas...finally. Net's team president Rod Thorn sent word out to media members Monday night that the deal, "appears to be a go."

In the deal, the Nets send Kidd and forward Malik Allen to Dallas for point guard Devin Harris, DeSagana Diop, Trenton Hassell, guard Maurice Ager, Keith Van Horn via sign-and-trade, first-round picks this June and in 2010 and $3 million in cash. In a separate transaction, Dallas will acquire Antoine Wright for a second-round pick.

The trickiest part of the deal might have come on Monday when the semi-retired Keith Van Horn and his agent, David Falk had to assure league officials that Van Horn had legitimate interest in returning to the league and attempting to play out the remainder of the season. Van Horn will collect a 4.3$ million dollar salary this year, despite more than half the season being over and not playing since the 2006 season.

Expect word on the trade's completion sometime Tuesday afternoon.

Another Boone in D.C.

FSE's Wahsington Nationals President's Day Special rolls on! As if the Nationals didn't have enough has beens on their roster, they acquired former All-Star Bret Boone today. Apparently there has been a wanted ad going around the Washed up Network and Boone finally replied. Maybe his brother Aaron recommended him to Jim Bowden.

Boone has been retired since 2005 and could possibly fill the role of utility man on the Nationals in 2008. A three time all-star, Boone, age 39, lead the 2001 Mariners to the best record in baseball putting up career highs with 37 HR, 141 RBI and a .331 AVG. From 1998- 2004 he was a top fantasy second basemen. Can he return to form? Probably not.

Operation Employment

Here is what Bret has in front of him this spring training:

1) First and foremost, he has to prove that he is healthy and can last the entire season.

2) He has to outplay the following players, try not to laugh.

- Felipe Lopez

- Ronnie Belliard

- Aaron Boone

- Willie Harris

3) Overcome the trials and tribulations of competing for the same job with his brother.

4) Try to avoid any contact with the outfielders.

5) Carry Manny Acta's luggage to and from the field.

The 2008 Nationals roster mirrors the plot of the cult classic "Major League." I can just imagine Jim Bowden calling Bret Boone at some Mexican hotel, asking if he wants to play for the Nationals. I can Imagine Bowden calling Elijah Dukes asking him if he can make it to spring training and Dukes responding in his best Rick Vaughn, "I don't think I can make it by then." While this team may not be good in 2008, they should at least be fun to watch!

Fantasy Impact

Many thing can happen here. Maybe Booone will make the team and start at second base OR maybe he and his brother Aaron will get into a sissy fight in Spring Training and both be sent home. Here's the cold hard truth, the only fantasy implications here is the real-life fantasy that Bret Boone can still play Major League Baseball. 

2008 Washington Nationals Fantasy Preview

The Nats have the greatest scrap heap team ever assembled. They are like a professional version of the LI Ducks, or the St. Paul Saints. The Nats finished the 2007 season with a 73-89 record and have made a plethora of moves this off season as apparently they believe that quantity outweighs quality. Let's check out the new faces for the Nats - this roster reads like a fantasy waiver wire.

Projected Positional Starters

C- Paul Lo Duca/Johnny Estrada
1B- Dmitri Young
2B- Ronnie Belliard
SS- Cristian Guzman
3B- Ryan Zimmerman
LF- Willy Mo Pena/ Elijah Dukes
CF- Lastings Milledge
RF- Austin Kearns

Projected Starting Rotation

#1 - Shawn Hill

#2 - John Patterson

#3 - Jason Bergmann
#4 - John Lannan

#5 - Matt Chico

Projected Bullpen

Closer - Chad Cordero 
Setup Man - John Rauch 
Middle Relievers - Luis Ayala, Saul Rivera, Jesus Colome

Hitter to Draft

This lineup is like a singles bar of mediocre to bad baseball players. The outfield has spent more time talking to the police than they have talking to Peter Gammons. They have spent more time in a cop car than on an All Star Field. This team should be renamed The Washington Re-Treads.

Ryan Zimmerman, 3B - Zimmerman will give you 20-30 Home Runs and if he has any protection in the line up or has anyone producing in front of him should get 100+ RBIs hitting out of the clean up spot. Zimmerman is also an excellent fielder, so he may save you a few errors at 3B which tends to be error-heavy. Zim is the only glimmer of hope that you will find in the National's Clubhouse.

Pitchers to Draft

Chad Cordero- He is a solid closer who will approach 40 saves every year. Rumors of him being traded may increase his value if he will continue to close with that team. If that team has a closer already he will become a "Holds" guy.

John Rauch, MR - Rauch is the unquestioned 8th inning setup man and an excellent source of holds in leagues that value that category, getting 30+ in 2007. Additionally, keep in mind that if Chad Cordero is traded, Rauch immediately becomes the Nationals closer, a position he could thrive in.  

Sleepers

Washington Nationals Outfield - Wily Mo Pena, Elijah Dukes, Austin Kearns and Lastings Milledge -  These guys have a chance to put up solid numbers given the collective talent. However, in a crowded outfield, issues like playing time distribution and the possibility of being traded hang serious question marks over their value. Out of the four I would say Milledge has the greatest upside in 2008 since the Nats have all but assured him the CF position. He has 20 HR - 20 SB potential, but playing in RFK and in a weak lineup, it may be difficult for him to reach those numbers.

Would I draft any of these guys before the 20th round? Maybe if I had been drinking. All four of these outfielders have good potential but don't risk drafting them until later in your draft. The worst thing to have on your team is a guy who isn't playing that you drafted.

Dmitri Young, 1B - He had a great season last year and he was a member of my fantasy team, so Da' meat Hook and I are real tight. Young showed last year that with consistent playing time he can help a fantasy team in BA, OPS and to a lesser extent RBIs. Nick Johnson is slated to return to action this season and this could cut into Da' Meat Hook's playing time killing his fantasy value. Speaking of Johnson...

Nick Johnson, 1B - Before he was the poster boy for medical insurance, Nick Johnson was a solid, up and coming first basemen who was supposed to win a batting title one day. Watch him in spring training; if he wins the starting job and can manage to stay healthy, he is an excellent waiver wire pick up/late draft flier that can post solid BA and OPS while contributing in power numbers. 

Luis Ayala, MR - As we said earlier, if Cordero is dealt Racuh becomes the closer. This opens up the setup role for Ayala who was solid in the pen last season with an E.R.A. in the low 3's. In addition, if both Cordero and Rauch are dealt midseason (trade talk surrounded them both last season) the Ayala may finish the 2008 season as the Nats closer.

Shawn Hill, SP - Although he is injury prone, Hill has shown great flashes of ability. Last season in 97 innings, Hill put up a 3.42 ERA and solid 1.14 WHIP in an injury-ridden campaign. He will be 27 in April and could be a good source of ERA and WHIP support for fantasy teams. However, as the defacto ace of the staff he will be facing some tough pitching matchups so don't expect a sparkling W-L record.

Players to Avoid

Paul Lo Duca, C - Steroids check is cashed and posted on the internet, knee injury could cost him his job to Johnny Estrada, and the women in D.C. aren't as hot as the women in the big apple. This may make Paul's all-around performance SUB PAR.

The Middle Infield - Cristian Guzman is awful; he actually batted under .220 the entire 2005 season! Ronnie Belliard may have lost some weight, but I don't want him near my fantasy team. 

Nationals Starters Not Named Shawn Hill - This bunch is inexperienced and injury prone, a terrible combination. Although RFK is a great pitchers park, their value is minimal given the team's anemic offense and the fact they play in the powerful NL East. Out of the bunch, Bergman and Patterson have the best value as spot starters in the right matchups. 

Daytona 500 Recap: Teamwork Beats Talent

With all the hype heading into Sunday's Daytona 500 surrounding Joe Gibbs Racing and the unstoppable force that is Hendrick Motorsports, everyone forgot about the talented stable of drivers held by Penske Racing. By lap 499, everyone remembered the names of Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch, when they managed to hold off Gibbs' Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch, who had dominated most of the race.

In a scene reminiscent of the New York Giants SuperBowl victory, it was teamwork that beat talent. It was lap 499, and millions watched as Kurt Busch was willing teammate Ryan Newman to victory. Kurt Busch, who at one point was at the back of the pack. Ryan Newman who has always been a solid driver, but has yet to enter the status of racing's elite, and who hadn't entered Victory Lane since 2005, showed the world what teamwork on the track can do.

When the race started a lot of the hype surrounded Hendrick Racing and its Big 3 of Jeff Gordon, Jimmy Johnson, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. As the race wore on, Gordon bowed out because of a problem with his suspension, and by the time he retook the track was too far behind to be a factor. Jimmy Johnson, got caught up in a wreck on lap 176 and was put out of contention, leaving Hendrick with Earnhardt and Casey Mears, who is not an elite driver, but can still do some racing out on the track. It seemed like the two drivers would try to work together, until Mears crashed on lap 195, and Earnhardt was left alone with no friends left on the track.

In the middle of the race, it was Kyle Busch who proved to be the dominant car, leading a total of 81 of the 200 laps at Daytona. There was constant talking between Busch and teammate Tony Stewart about strategy, how their cars were doing and how the track was feeling. Busch was looking good until he slid across the end of his pit stall on lap 181 and restarted 9th. He and Tony Stewart would make a go of it at the end battling the two Penske drivers for Daytona supremacy, but came up short.

Over the course of the last 3 laps, Stewart was indeed the fastest car on the track, but the Penske team had the fastest two cars on the track. Kyle Busch had used up most of what his car had left, making up for his mistake on pit row and didn't have enough car left in the end to help Stewart over come Busch and Newman.

With the Car of Tomorrow being used in all of the Cup races this season,we can expect to see a lot more finishes like the one we did in Daytona. Solidarity and an understanding of what a team needs to do to win will lead a team to success. Look for Hendrik Motorsports to rebound in the weeks to come, they have too much talent to struggle like they did on Sunday. Expect to see Joe Gibbs racing continue their strong start. Denny Hamlin struggled today, and Gibbs Racing still had 2 of the top 4 drivers in the race. Penske racing also should continue to be a solid team, as they have in the past. The best part about Daytona is that is showed that perhaps this season won't be the cake walk many expected for Hendrik Motorsports. As we predicted here earlier, Joe Gibbs racing will be in it at the end, and more surprisingly it looks like Penske might be there also.

Kidd Traded... Again

It looks like the New Jersey Nets and Dallas Mavericks trade will get done with a little help from an old friend. SI.com's Ian Thomson is reporting that the Nets and Mavericks have agreed upon a deal, in which the Mavericks will send New Jersey Keith Van Horn, Trenton Hassell, Devin Harris, Sagana Diop, Maurice Ager, two first-round picks and cash. In the exchange Dallas will get Kidd and Malik Allen. We detailed what previous versions of this trade would mean for these teams. As more recent versions of the trade become finalized, expect an update from us as soon as it happens.

The trade of course, isn't without complications. Dallas had to get Keith Van Horn's permission to make the trade, as he has been retired since the end of the 2006 finals and hasn't played in an NBA game in more than a year. Van Horn will have to report to New Jersey and take a physical in order to complete the transaction. Why would Van Horn do this? He is still going to be paid his 4 million dollar plus salary for this season in full, despite more than half the season already being half over.

As much has to go right here, the deal is still pending league approval. After the fandango that the last agreed upon trade became it will be interesting to see how this all plays out. It is said the earliest the deal can be completed is Monday, although it is unclear if that will happen as Monday is President's Day, a National Holiday.

Yovani Gallardo To Miss 4 Weeks Of Spring Training

Milwaukee Brewers' 22 year-old pitching phenom Yovani Gallardo will miss the first 4 weeks of Spring Training after undergoing athroscopic surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left knee. 

FANTASY IMPACT

After an excellent rookie campaign which saw Gallardo post a 9-5 record with a 3.67 ERA and nearly 1 strikeout per inning, many fantasy owners have moved the young stud up their 2008 draft boards. This injury news could have been a lot worse had Gallardo been forced to miss a month of the season. Under this scenario, Gallardo would return around the final week of spring training with a chance to be ready for his first regular season start. At worst, Gallardo would miss his first two April starts.

As the fourth starter in the Brewers rotation (and second to only Ben Sheets in terms of talent), Gallardo will benefit from favorable matchups throughout the course of the season and should build upon his impressive 2007 numbers. If he stays healthy and pitches 170+ innings, 15 wins, 160-170 Ks and an ERA in the mid-3's is not out of the question.  

Billy Knight Finally Addresses The PG Position - Mike Bibby Headed to the ATL

The Atlanta Hawks appear to have finally landed themselves a point guard, trading the expiring contracts of Lorenzen Wright, Tyronn Lue and Anthony Johnson along with 2006 lottery pick Shelden Williams and a 2008 second round pick to Sacramento for PG Mike Bibby.

Why Atlanta Did This

To put Atlanta's need for a point guard into perspective, allow me to tell you the tale of Hawks GM Billy Knight's recent draft history. The relationship between Atlanta Hawks GM Billy Knight and the point guard position has been a rocky one. During his tenure in the ATL, Knight has seemingly gone out of his way to construct a roster overflowing with tweeners, guys stuck between 2-3 positions given their height, build and/or versatile game. 

Tweeners, like anything else in life, aren't necessarily a bad thing in moderation. However, when a majority of your roster consists of athletic swingmen and undersized power forwards, you better have a system in place that caters to their strengths (Nelly Ball In Golden State) or a floor general at point guard to run the team with efficiency.

Let's take a trip back in time to June 2005. Atlanta had the 2nd pick in the draft and with the #1 overall pick guaranteed to be Andrew Bogut, the Hawks had their choice of two premier point guard prospects in Chris Paul and Deron Williams. In fact, Paul went as far as to say that he wanted to play in Atlanta; a bold statement given the Hawks commitment to losing in 00's. 

After Bogut, the next 3 players on the board were the two aforementioned point guards and UNC's Marvin Williams, a young, athletic player with great potential as a SG/SF in the NBA. Given that the Hawks had already used lottery picks in prior drafts to select SG/SF/PF 'tweeners' Josh Smith and Josh Childress, had Al Harrington on the roster (another tweener) and finished the season with an awful combo of Tony Delk and Tyronn Lue running the point, this seemed like a slam dunk. Naturally, Knight took the guy with the most "upside" - Marvin Williams.

Fast forward to June 2006, after another poor season, there was some hope in Atlanta due to the great play of combo guard Joe Johnson, acquired from the Suns in a trade in the 2005 offseason. Johnson spent a lot of time at the point, but being an excellent scorer he really thrived when playing off the ball. In addition, lottery pick Josh Smith was starting to develop into a force on the defensive end while developing an offensive game. 

The Hawks were slotted to pick 5th and again were sitting on two good point guard prospects in Brandon Roy and Randy Foye that would fill their biggest need. Unfortunately for Hawks fans, Knight this time gave into his infatuation for undersized PFs and selected Shelden Williams 5 picks too early. Needless to say, the Landlord hasn't helped secure any playoff rent during his uneventful year and a half in Atlanta.

Which brings us to Friday February 15th, 2008. At the midway point in the 2007-08 NBA season, the Hawks are seriously competing for a playoff spot and have been in playoff position in the Least for a decent amount of time. However, the team is 7-15 since the start of 2008 and has fallen to 9th place in the east due to glaring weaknesses in outside shooting and at point guard. Atlanta's failure to stretch the floor and insistence on playing around the rim have made them easy to scheme on defense while the lack of a true point guard has put a lot of wear and tear on Joe Johnson who has seen his numbers drop each month.

The arrival of Bibby gives Atlanta a good outside shooter, more than capable of hitting the open 3 as well as a veteran point guard who can run a half court set as well as fast break with the Hawks athletic young players. Bibby is playoff-tested, playing in plenty of big games with the Kings, and his game should improve as the thumb injury which sidelined him for the first 35 games of the season becomes a distant memory. 

With the emergence of Josh Smith as a defensive stalwart and offensive threat at PF, Marvin Williams settling in nicely at SF and 2007 #3 overall pick Al Horford a double-double machine at center, a lineup of Bibby, Johnson, Williams, Smith and Horford is my pick to secure the 6 or 7 seed in the East. 

Why Sacramento Did This  

The Kings motivations in this deal are fairly clear - they wanted to create immediate cap space and add a young forward to a thin front court. Unloading Bibby, who is owed 28 million through 2009, and taking back over 9.5 million in expiring contracts puts the Kings under the cap a year earlier and makes them a player this offseason. The acquisition of Shelden Williams provides Sacramento with a young option at power forward with little obligation as he is only signed through the end of next season. 

Fantasy Fallout

Atlanta Hawks

Mike Bibby will have plenty of responsibility in Atlanta, both in terms of scoring and distributing the basketball. Bibby is currently putting up 13.1 points and 5.4 assists a night in 31 minutes of play; however, his burn will increase to the 35-37 minute range in Atlanta as he is the team's only quality point guard option. As time goes on, I expect Bibby's numbers to return to his career averages of around 17 points, 6.5 assists, 1.5 three pointers and a steal a night making him an excellent point guard option late in the season.   

The player helped most by Bibby's arrival will be Joe Johnson who will now get the opportunity to play off the ball more. His offensive numbers are down across the board from a year ago due to overuse and the presence of Bibby at the point should help his points and three point production. Additionally, with two backcourt bench guys going over to the Kings in the deal, look for rookie point guard Acie Law to see more minutes. 

Sacramento Kings

The departure of Bibby makes early season fantasy sensations Beno Udrih and John Salmons into good fantasy options once again. Beno will return to the Kings starting lineup at point guard and should regain the 14 point and 5-6 assist form he displayed earlier this season when getting consistent playing time. Udrih can also help teams in three pointers, steals and FT%.

Salmons should see his playing time rise as the first man off the bench on the new look Kings. A good scorer averaging around 15 points a game, Salmons can is versatile fantasy contributor who can help in points, assists, rebounds, steals and FT% when receiving 30 minutes a night. As the trade deadline approaches, keep in mind that Salmons is a Ron Artest trade away from potentially being a regular starter at SF.

Shelden Williams will be given ample playing time in a thin Kings' frontcourt, as the team uses the second half of the season to assess what they have in the former Duke star. The defensive-minded Williams serves as a decent complement to Brad Miller and has the potential to rack up admirable rebound and block numbers. 

Finally, should this be the Kings' last trade this season, Ron Artest, Brad Miller and especially Kevin Martin will see increases in offensive production with Bibby gone.

Pujols on elbow ligament, "If it blows out it's going to blow out."

There have been rumblings over the last few months regarding serious injury concerns with Albert Pujols. This week, Fox's Ken Rosenthal has weighed in on the issue and in his blog today ESPN.com's Buster Olney says the injury concerns are "very real." All of this was speculation until Pujols himself commented on the status of his elbow today to the AP.

"If it blows out it's going to blow out," Pujols said. "You can't control that." Not exactly a stunning endorsement, or something you hang onto confidently when you go draft Pujols in the first round of your fantasy draft. Pujols also stated that the injury is not something that could easily be cleaned up because the problem is indeed with his elbow ligament.

Manager Tony LaRussa said "Talking to the trainers this morning one of the biggest issues will be throwing so we'll be on the careful side of really firing it. He could make a swing that could tweak it, too. It's one of those deals." So basically what LaRussa is saying is that if Pujols can avoid throwing and swinging, he should be fine.

It appears that the All-Star slugging first baseman will need elbow ligament replacement surgery, making the the question not 'if' but rather 'when' he will go under the knife. The surgery would effectively end his season and given that the Cardinals may not be competitve this season, there is a good chance Pujols could undergo surgery come June or July.

Fantasy Fallout

I think its a safe bet that Pujols should now be listed a guy to avoid come draft time. It might sounds nuts, but you need to ask yourself if it is worth using your most valuable pick on a player that could go down at anytime during the course of the season.

Remember, this is your first round stud and the guy that will be counted on to lead your team into the playoffs. If Pujols season ends in June or July it is next to impossible to replace his bat late in the fantasy season. There are a number of safer picks in the first round that don't carry Pujols' injury baggage.

By the way, should Pujols go down, former Yankee great Josh Phelps would replace him at first base...

First Half Fantasy Basketball All-Stars

Now that the first half of the 2007-08 NBA season is complete, let's take a look at the players who were the cream of the fantasy crop. Note: If a player has multiple position eligibility, he will only be given consideration at the position where he has accumulated the most starts and/or minutes.

First Team

C - Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix Suns - Amare gets a slight nod over Dwight Howard due to his superior scoring ability. The second half looks awfully bright for Amare, as he is now the unquestioned centerpiece of the Suns offense with Shawn Marion in Phoenix. Expect an increase in Stoudemire's production across the board. 

PF - Tim Duncan, San Antonion Spurs - Duncan is never the sexy pick. However, among this year's group of PFs who all have very similar numbers, Duncan's solid scoring and rebounding numbers (Nearly 20 points and 11.5 boards) coupled with his good defensive stats, FG% and ability to contribute in assists make him the most well-rounded PF out there.

SF - Lebron James, Cleveland Cavaliers - The King is averaging over 30 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists a game and is putting up numbers that haven't been seen since the days of Oscar Robertson. He is single-handedly carrying a below average Cavs team into the playoffs and firmly establishing himself as the NBA's best player. If Lebron isn't the consensus #1 pick in your fantasy basketball drafts over the next 8 years, your leagues stink.

SG - Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers - Kobe continues to be a fantasy beast this season, with the ability to contribute in a variety of categories in addition to pouring in the points. His scoring average is actually down 3 points this year; however, he has seen increases in rebounds and steals while maintaining strong assist and three point numbers. Looking ahead to the second half, keep an eye on Bryant's injured right pinky as it may hurt his production.

PG - Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets - Paul is the best player on the NBA's most surprising team and has clearly been the best all-around point guard in the league. He is averaging a double-double putting up nearly 21 points and 11 assists a game to go along with a remarkable 4.1 A/T ratio that is second only to Jose Calderon. In addition, he averages 2.6 steals a game which is among the league leaders. He has certainly been the finest fantasy point guard at arguably the strongest and deepest position.

Second Team

C - Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic - DH is an absolute beast in rebounds and blocks and has shown a much-improved offensive game this season averaging over 21 points to go along with a .600+ FG%. It won't be long before he is the top center in fantasy basketball.

PF - Shawn Marion, Miami Heat - Continues to be the most consistent producer across the board, averaging a double-double (16 points and 10 rebounds) on the season and supplementing it with excellent averages in the defensive categories. Marion also provides admirable contributions in three pointers and has a .500+ FG%.

SF - Caron Butler, Washington Wizards - In Gilbert Arenas' absence, Butler has raised his game to a new level and is having a career year. He is averaging career highs in points (21.4), assists (4.5), steals (2.4), three pointers (1.1), FG% (47%) and FT% (91%); providing owners with excellent output in a wide variety of categories. Arenas should be back at some point in the second half so Butler may experience a slight drop in his numbers, but he should continue to be a valuable contributor late in the season due to his versatility. 

SG - Manu Ginobili, San Antonio Spurs - Similar to Butler, Manu Manu has enjoyed his finest pro season, averaging around 20 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 three pointers and 2 steals. Ginobili is one of only a handful of players that can help fantasy owners in 6 categories (also shooting 83% from the FT line) making him an anchor for your fantasy team heading down the stretch. 

PG - Allen Iverson, Denver Nuggets - As is the case each year, Iverson is among the league leaders in points, steals, assists and minutes played. However, after a down year by his lofty standards coupled with his rising age and the fact he plays alongside Carmelo Anthony, AI went a little later in drafts entering this season; late third-early fourth round in some cases. Iverson has rewarded the owners that believed in him, by raising his scoring and steals while continuing to put up excellent assist numbers.

Honorable Mentions

C - Yao Ming, Al Jefferson

PF - Carlos Boozer, Kevin Garnett,, Josh Smith

SF - Carmelo Anthony, Paul Pierce, Josh Howard, Rudy Gay

SG -   Dwayne Wade, Joe Johnson, Michael Redd 

PG - Steve Nash, Baron Davis, Deron Williams

Lakers To Watch If Kobe Goes Under The Knife

Kobe Bryant has a torn ligament in his right pinky finger and doctors have recommended he undergo surgery.  The procedure would sideline Bryant for 6-8 weeks forcing him to miss a majority of the second half of the season. 

With Andrew Bynum out and the west the tightest its been in years (1-8 seeds separated by a mere 5 games) Bryant is chosen to play with the injury and put off surgery until after the Olympic Games this summer. Given that the injury is on his shooting hand and he spends a majority of his time on the court handling the ball and shooting, there is a good chance that his game may be noticeably hurt by his ailing pinky. However, the general consensus is that the Lakers will need Kobe on the court just to survive in the tough Western Conference and make it into the playoffs.

 

Despite Kobe's repeated overtures that he will not miss any games, the possibility he is forced to go under the knife remains as this is a serious injury. Let's take a look at the Lakers' players who would see a rise in their fantasy value if Kobe were to miss time:

Major Beneficiaries 

Starters

1) Pau Gasol, PF/C - With Kobe and Bynum out, Gasol becomes the Lakers' clear-cut number one scoring option and should see a spike in his scoring and rebounding numbers. 20-10+ numbers on a nightly basis would not be out of the question. 

2) Lamar Odom, SF/PF - With the emergence of Andrew Bynum, Kobe's scoring prowess and the excellent offensive output from the Lakers bench, Odom's scoring has reached its lowest mark since the 2001-02 season. In Kobe's absence, Odom would be relied on to score more which would serve as an excellent complement to his already gaudy rebounding numbers.

3) Derek Fisher, PG - Fisher has been on championship teams before and is one of those guys that rises to the occasion. Fisher has had a solid season thus far and would enjoy added ball handling duties with Kobe sidelined, leading to an increase in scoring and assists.

Bench Players 

1) Sasha Vujacic, SG - Vujacic would most likely start at shooting guard with Kobe out and has shown flashes of excellent scoring ability when he has been given extended playing time this season. In 9 games where Vujacic has played 20+ minutes (26 mins. is his season high), he is averaging 17.4 points a game. If he receives ample playing time, Vujacic can help fantasy teams in scoring and three pointers while shooting a high FT %. 

2) Jordan Farmar, PG - While the Lakers would probably choose to start Vujacic at SG, Farmar remains the teams most talented bench player. In only 20 minutes a night, he is averaging around 9 points, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1+ three pointers a contest. Farmar should be in line for a bump in playing time with Bryant out as Phil Jackson will look to mix up his backcourt pairings. He should see an increase in point and assists while contributing admirably in the three point department.

Slight Upgrades

1) Luke Walton, SF - Walton is already seeing around 24 minutes a night so his increase in playing time will be minimal. However, he should get more offensive touches and can be a guy that contributes across the board in deeper leagues.

2) Vladimir Radmonovic, PF - Vlad Rad is what he is, a three point gunner with the ability to put up good scoring outputs from time to time. With added offensive touches, he could help fantasy teams in deep leagues who need help in the three point category. 

FSE Draft Strategy Series - Rookie Drafting

At the start of every season, there is a constant debate going on amongst fantasy experts regarding where to rank rookie hitters and pitchers. Here is the policy I use, rarely if ever do I draft a rookie hitter. However, if a player starts in minors and spends a month or so there and gets called up around May/June, then I more seriously assess whether he is worth adding. I got this reasoning when watching "Baseball Tonight" a few years ago and I heard Peter Gammons explain why young players traditionally perform differently than others.

Rookies who start the season in the majors are often overwhelmed a majority of the time out of the gate. Their biggest issues revolve around adjusting to major league pitching and thus have problems with their swing and ultimately confidence. On the other hand, rookies who start the season in the minors generally find themselves a good groove once they are called up. They often display good confident swings and better plate discipline simply because they have been locked in down on the faem and are in a decent place mentally when they are brought up to the majors.

A good example of this was seen among last season's hyped rookie third basemen. Alex Gordon, the most hyped rookie third baseman, started the season in the majors while Ryan Braun (second to Gordon in 3B hype) started the season in the minors. The third impact rookie at third base was Josh Fields an afterthought stuck behind Joe Crede in Chicago early on, spent some time in the minors before being eased into the starting 3B when Crede went down with a back injury.

From the numbers we can see that despite arriving with the most buzz and spending the most time in the majors last season, Gordon has the worst overall numbers of the three. The other two (especially Braun), who spent some time in the minor leagues, fared much better when they were called up producing better power numbers than Gordon.

Rick Ankiel is another example of a player who was called up last year and performed better than many predicted. Many said that Ankiel would struggle as a hitter in the majors, especially with strikeouts, and would not be much of a factor. Ankiel had hit 31 home runs with a .271 batting average in AAA, and upon his arrival to the majors he hit 11 home runs with a .284 batting average in only 172 at bats. This is almost exactly what he had been doing in his time in the minor leagues, and shows how a player can come to the majors confident, with added seasoning and be successful.

Thus, when it comes to drafting rookies, be weary. I would rather pick up a free agent rookie hitter who has had some minor league at bats, rather than draft a guy who will be thrown to the wolves in his first year in the bigs. On draft day, you are more often than naught better off going with the veteran bat as they are more of a proven commodity.

St. Louis Cardinals 2008 Fantasy Team Preview

The Cardinals won the World Series in 2006, but go into 2008 with question marks in their starting rotation and throughout the lineup. We take a closer look at the Cards and what this could mean for your fantasy team.

Projected Positional Starters

C- Yadier Molina
1B- Albert Pujols
2B- Adam Kennedy
3B- Troy Glaus
SS- Cesar Izturis
LF- Chris Duncan
CF- Colby Rasmus
RF- Rick Ankiel

Projected Rotation

Ace - Adam Wainwright
2 - Brandon Looper
3 - Joel Pineiro
4 - Anthony Reyes
5 - Brad Thompson/ Matt Clement

Injured Starting Pitchers Of Note - Chris Carpenter, Mark Mulder

Projected Bullpen

Closer- Jason Isringhausen

Middle Relievers - Ryan Franklin, Russ Springer, Randy Flores, Tyler J. Johnson, Todd Wellemeyer

Hitters To Draft

Albert Pujols, 1B - Just a hunch.

Chris Duncan, LF - He went down and slumped badly in the second half of last season, but he can draw a walk, and hit the long ball. If he can put together a full, healthy season he could hit 35 HR and drive in 85RBI.

Rick Ankiel, RF - I can't believe I am saying this, but he could be a decent fantasy outfielder. Would I bank my team's success on him... no. However, I strongly feel he will be a more than serviceable outfield option and can put up good power numbers. Put him down for 30HR, and 75RBI, to go along with a .260AVG if everything goes right.

Yadier Molina, C - It seems like he has been around for a while, but Yadier is only 25 and still developing as a hitter. He missed all of September, but look for him to have a breakout season at the dish. Expect a .280BA with 15HR and 70RBI, making him a decent option at catcher once the top guys are off the board.

Pitchers To Draft

Adam Wainwright, SP - Check out Wainwright's 1st and 2nd half splits in 2007:

After a rocky start, Wainwright enjoyed a terrific second half improving his numbers across the board. Most impressive, he dropped his ERA nearly 2 runs which is a product of his increased strikeouts totals, better command and getting over his gopher ball-itis that plagued him a bit in the first half. With Carpenter and Mulder out, Wainwright becomes the defacto ace in St. Louis, which hurts his value some. However, the kid has great stuff and should have a solid season building off of his 2007 2nd half.

Jason Isringhausen, CL - Has 32+ saves in seven of the eight last seasons. One of the most consistent, and despite nagging injuries, durable closers in baseball. He often goes over looked, and you will be able to draft him a little later than he should be going in most drafts.

Chris Carpenter, SP - He is a legit ace, on the rebound. Draft him in leagues with DL spots and stash him on your bench until he is healthy around mid-season. Could be a difference maker down the stretch.

Players To Avoid

Troy Glaus, 3B - Glaus came to the Cards in the Scott Rolen deal after struggling through an injured-ridden season in Toronto. 2007 was far from a banner year for Glaus as he posted a meager 20 homers and 62 RBIs in 115 games and was subsequently implicated in the Mitchell Report for HGH use. No one is really sure what Glaus has in the tank, but given that he is injury prone and hitting in a lackluster lineup in St. Louis, he is definately someone to avoid.

Braden Looper, SP - Once a closer, Looper is now the #2 starter in St. Louis. Looper posted a serviceable 12-12 record with a 4.94 ERA and 1.30 WHIP last season in St. Louis. However, pitching out of the 2 spot in the rotation, Looper will face tougher pitching matchups and will be hard pressed to repeat his 2007 output.

Sleepers

Colby Rasmus, CF - The center field prospect is being hailed as a future 30/30 guy. I doubt he pulls that off this season, but in keeper leagues he is worth grabbing late, and enjoying a year or two from now.

Joel Pineiro, SP- Pineiro has always had good stuff, but has litle to show for it thus far in his career. He finished off the last two months of 2007 fairly strong, going 6-4 with an ERA in the high threes including a spectacular 8 inning shutout effort at Shea Stadium late in the season which put his ceiling on display. As the #3 starter, Pineiro should get some decent matchups this season and is someone to watch.

Ryan Ludwick, RF/LF - Gets first crack at one of the corner OF spots if Ankiel or Duncan can't get the job done or get injured. He can hit the long ball, but needs the at bats to prove he can do it consistently.

Seattle Mariners 2008 Fantasy Team Preview

Seattle surprised a lot of people last season by staying in the Wild Card race for the majority of the season. The team was carried by its stellar bullpen, good enough starting pitching and scrappy offense. By September the team had too much going against it to keep up the solid play and faltered down the stretch. This off season they landed an ace and look to make the jump from playoff pretender to playoff contender.

Projected Positional Starters

C- Kenji Johjima
1B- Richie Sexson
2B- Jose Lopez
3B- Adrian Beltre
SS- Yuniesky Betancourt
LF- Raul Ibanez
CF- Ichiro Suzuki
RF-Brad Wilkerson
DH- Jose Vidro

Projected Starting Rotation

Ace - Erik Bedard
2- Felix Hernandez
3- Miguel Batista
4- Jarrod Washburn
5- Carlos Silva

Projected Bullpen

Closer- J.J. Putz
Middle Relievers - Brandon Morrow, Sean Green, Eric O'Flaherty, Ryan Rowland Smith, R.A Dickey

Hitters to Draft

Ichiro Suzuki- Hits .330AVG with 100+Rs and 40SB every season. After that he doesn't hit a ton of HR or drive in more than 70RBI a season. He is usually drafted in one of the first 2 rounds, and I don't get why. If he falls to the 4th or 5th round grab him, but get power early on, and build up SB later on.

Adrian Beltre- It is now obvious that 2004 was a fluke, and Beltre has been living up to some unfair expectations after that. He has hit 25, and 26HR each of the last two seasons to go along with 89, and 99RBIs respectively. He has actually gone from being overrated, to underrated. He will go into 2008 a solid middle to late round pick to play 3B for your team.

Raul Ibanez- Is surprisingly a pretty consistent .290AVG., 90RBI and 20HR bat. He turns 36 this season, and could start to decline, so don't go drafting him expecting the guy who you saw in 2006. He will be a middle to late round pick, and is consistently underrated.

Kenji Johjima- He can hit pretty well for a catcher. A decent amount of HR, AVG., and RBI combination. He is not elite, but he is solid. He is worth drafting over guys like Dioner Navarro and Carlos Ruiz. Guys who could be good, but are sleepers, who have the potential to go bust. Johjima is a proven catching commodity, who gives you what you expect to see.

Pitchers To Draft

Erik Bedard- A great two starter in an aces clothing. In my opinion the only thing that separates him from Fantasy (or reality) elite is the fact that he gets hurt every season and winds up missing starts. Last season he missed all of September, a.ka. the Head to Head playoffs. Meaning that if he was your ace, you lost him when it mattered most. Still a very good pitcher, who can dominate a game, and win games with his stuff,without having to rely on the team for huge run support. If he can stay healthy all season, he could be the best pitcher in all of baseball. Even if he gets hurt he is still a top 12-15 starter.

J.J. Putz- An elite top 5 fantasy (and reality) closer. He is dominant, and makes hitters look bad, consistently. Last season he had more Ks that IP, 40Saves and an ERA closer to 1.00 than 2.00.

Felix Hernandez- "King" Felix receives the biggest boost because of the Bedard trade. He goes from being a young #1 ace, to being a 2 starter with an ace ahead of him in the rotation now to shoulder the load. He will have less pressure on him, and his numbers show he could be ready to break out this season and take his game to the next level. I believe he will go at the forefront of the #2 type starters, but will a jump and become an elite pitcher this season.

Players to Avoid

Miguel Batista- Won 16 games last season, pitching to the tune of a 4.29ERA. Previous to that, he had never won more than 11 games in a season. He will be 37 when the season starts, and seems to have been the beneficiary of a career year last season, more of a fluke than it was the norm.

Jose Vidro- I probably shouldn't have listed him at all, because if you do draft Vidro, you deserve to lose. Vidro was once an all star 2B in Montreal, playing for the Expos playing in an i infield that included SS Orlando Cabrera. He hasn't been good the last 3 seasons, and manages to do just enough to make it seem like he has something left. He has little power, no speed and his .314 batting average was a bit of an aberration. There are better 2b and utility options available.

Brad Wilkerson- Apparently, Seattle is where former Montreal Expo stars go to die. Wilkerson had two very fine seasons in 2003, and 2004, and since then has been oft injured and mediocre. He doesn't hit for average at all, which isn't problem if you are Adam Dunn and hit 40HR season. However, Wilkerson, barely hit 20HR, in a hitter's friendly park, and doesn't drive in too many runs, after this the lack of a solid BA suddenly becomes a problem. Not sure why Seattle signed him, other than to get a "name" guy in right field, but do not be fooled.

Sleepers

Richie Sexson- Big Sexy had a terrible year in 2006 and 2007 wasn't just bad, it was an absolute disaster. Sexson, barely hit over the Mendoza line and saw his HR total plummet from 34 to 21. Sexson has the ability to hit over 30HR with 90RBI, with a batting average around .250 and there is talk of Sexson being in the "best shape in years," motivated by the fact he was so bad in 2007. Although you shouldn't read into the offseason conditioning cliche's, he should be taken late based merely on his power potential alone.

R.A. Dickey- Probably should not even be listed as a sleeper, but I have a veterin journeyman knuckleballer fettish, and Dickey fits the bill. He has bounced around from organization to organization over the last few seasons, looking for a place where he can hone his knuckleball craft. He had a huge second half in the minors last season, and will be a servicable pitcher in the majors if he can continue his success.

Devean George Blocks Kidd Trade

Devean George is averageing .12 blocks a game this season, but might have just come down with his most important block of the year. George has reportedly exercised his right to veto a trade to the Nets Wednesday night, holding up the monster 7 player trade involving Jason Kidd.

George's agent Mark Bartelstein was quoted as saying, "We're not trying to hold things up or be difficult..." Ironic, because that is exactly what they are doing, "...but just like teams make tough decisions all the time — about cutting players or mak