The Cleveland Indians boast two of the best starters in the AL at the top of their rotation, a bullpen that improved throughout the course of last season, and a lineup that can thump with anyone. Let's take a look at what the talented young Indians have to offer fantasy owners in 2008.
Projected Lineup
CF- Grady Sizemore
2B- Asdrubal Carbrera
DH- Travis Hafner
C- Victor Martinez
1B- Ryan Garko
SS- Jhonny Peralta
3B- Casey Blake
LF- Dave Dellucci
RF- Franklin Gutierrez
Projected Rotation
Ace- C.C. Sabathia
#2- Fausto Carmona
#3- Jake Westbrook
#4- Paul Byrd
#5- Cliff Lee/ Aaron Laffey/ Jeremy Sowers
Bullpen
Closer- "Stunning" Joe Borowski
Set Up- Rafael Betancourt, Rafael Perez, Masahide Kobayashi, Thomas Mastny, Jensen Lewis,
Aaron Fultz, Jorge Julio
Hitters To Draft
Grady Sizemore, CF - Hit .277 with 24HR, 33SB, 78RBI and 118R. This was considered to be a down year by many. Still very good numbers for a guy who won't be 26 until August.
Victor Martinez, C - Elite catcher, who got into better shape this off season than he has been in previous years. Look for him to continue his elite status this year, 30HR and 100RBI are a lock for him.
Travis Hafner, DH - HD had a down year last season and needs to rebound in 2008. He is the difference maker in this Cleveland lineup, and can make it go from good to great. Draft him if you want, he has the potential to make you forget is in a DH, but he also has the potential to be mediocre like he was last season.
Ryan Garko, 1B - Landed the gig as he everyday 1B last season and looks to blossom out further from his 2007 numbers.
Casey Blake, 3B - Veteran had a career season last year won't be able to repeat his success in '08. He is a nice player, and is worth drafting much later as a 3B option. I do like him more than guys like Scott Rolen.
Pitchers To Draft
C.C. Sabathia, SP - Showed himself to be an elite ace last season, and enters this year in a contract season. He should be good for at least 15W this season with near 200Ks.
Fausto Carmona, SP - Came out of no where to put up huge numbers in 2007 and should continue to be pretty consistent in 2008. He throws a power sinker, so while he should continue to get outs consistently, he won't strike a ton of guys out.
Joe Borowski, CL - Despite all the negative publicity he gets the bottom line is, more often than not he get the job done. His stuff isn't electric, he gives up runs, but at the end of the day he'll have 30+ saves.
Players to Avoid
Jhonny Peralta, SS- Can hit for a bit of power, for a SS, but does nothing else worth noting. Doesn't steal bases, doesn't hit for AVG, and needs to show some consistency from season to season.
Asdrubal Cabrera, 2B- Don't be fooled, there is a difference between being good, and being better than the guy you took the job from. He is a decent player but not a good fantasy option.
Sleepers
Franklin Gutierrez, OF - Once an elite prospect is still only 25, and has 20/20 potential going into 2008. He needs the everyday at bats to show he can do it consistently on the Major League level.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Cleveland Indians 2008 Fantasy Team Preview
Sunday, March 16, 2008
2008 Los Angeles Dodgers Fantasy Preview
Out is Grady Little and in is Joe Torre. After a sub par 2007 season mired with injuries and young players learning on the job, Joe Torre inherits a team full of young potential stars such as James Loney, Matt Kemp, and Russel Martin. He inherits Brad Penny, Derek Lowe and a very good closer in Takashi Saito. He brings with him his boys; Scott Proctor, Tanyon Sturtze and Mike Myers. There are many question marks for this team heading into the 2008 season. Can Andruw Jones bounce back from his poor 2007 season? Will Brad Penny repeat his 07 numbers? Will Jason Schmidt be a top flight pitcher ever again? Will Torre's laid back approach work with a team that is like a mixed bag of trail mix. These players are from different countries, eras, and styles. So many questions and so few days until opening day, let's see what we can figure out!
OFFSEASON MOVES
Signed RHP Scott Proctor to a one-year contract
Signed RHP Hiroki Kuroda to a three-year contract.
Signed free agent CF Andruw Jones to a two-year contract
Signed RHP Tanyon Sturtze, RHP Mike Koplove
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
C- RUSSEL MARTIN
1B- JAMES LONEY
2B-JEFF KENT
SS- RAFAEL FURCAL
3B- NOMAR GARCIAPARRA
LF- JUAN PIERRE
CF- ANDRUW JONES
RF- MATT KEMP/ANDRE ETHIER
PROJECTED STARTING ROTATION
ACE- BRAD PENNY
2- DEREK LOWE
3- CHAD BILLINGSLEY
4- HIROKI KURODA
5- ESTEBAN LOAIZA
PROJECTED BULLPEN (BARE WITH ME, THIS IS A JOE TORRE TEAM)
CLOSER- TAKASHI SAITO
SET UP MAN- JONOTHAN BROXTON
HITTERS TO DRAFT
ANDRUW JONES, CF
RAFAEL FURCAL, SS
RUSSEL MARTIN, C
FIRST OFF HIS FULL NAME IS, "RUSSELL NATHAN COLTRANE JEANSON MARTIN", HOW AWESOME IS THAT! SECOND, HE IS A CLEAR CUT TOP 3 FANTASY CATCHERS. HE IS YOUNG, WILL BAT AROUND .290 AND HE HAS SPEED! MARTIN IS THE ONLY CATCHER WE CAN SAY IS A LEGITIMATE 20-20 THREAT.
JUAN PIERRE, OF
IF YOU ARE DESPERATE FOR SPEED, AND NEED NOTHING ELSE PIERRE IS A GOOD OPTION. BE AWARE OF MATT KEMP AND ANDRE ETHIER, THEY ARE YOUNG, TALENTED AND NEED A POSITION. PIERRE PROVIDES STOLEN BASES AND STOLEN BASES ONLY.
JEFF KENT, 2B
GETTING A GOOD SECOND BASEMEN IN YOUR DRAFT MAY BE TOUGH AND THE GUY YOU WANT YOU MAY MISS OUT ON. LATE IN YOUR DRAFT, I AM SURE JEFF KENT WILL BE HANGING AROUND. WOULD I DRAFT HIM? IN A WORD, NO. IF I DIDN'T HAVE A SECOND BASEMEN LATE IN THE DRAFT, THEN YES.
PITCHERS TO DRAFT
BRAD PENNY, SP
16 WINS IN EACH OF THE LAST TWO SEASONS AND ALMOST 200Ks EACH OF THOSE SEASONS TELLS ME THAT BRAD PENNY IS READY TO BECOME THE ACE OF THE DODGERS STAFF. HE HAS MAINTAINED HIS HEALTH THE LAST TWO SEASONS AND IS CONSCIOUS OF HIS PITCH COUNT AND IS GOING LONGER IN GAMES. PENNY SHOULD ANCHOR THIS STAFF AND I DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE TORRE LIKE TO STRETCH OUT HIS STARTER TOO FAR.
TAKASHI SAITO, CL
HE IS 38 YEARS OLD, BUT THE LAST TWO SEASON HE HAS BEEN A DOMINANT CLOSER. HOPEFULLY HE DOESN'T PULL A KAZUHIRO SASAKI AND DECIDE TO LEAVE THE TEAM. THE LAST TWO SEASONS HE HAS SHOWN HE STILL HAS THE ABILITY TO DOMINATE THE LATE INNINGS. CAN HE HANDLE A TORRE LIKE WORKLOAD THOUGH?
DEREK LOWE, SP
HE'S A DECENT "REAL-LIFE" PITCHER, BUT DOESN'T HAVE DAZZLING FANTASY STATS. HE IS A SOLID ARM THAT CAN GO OUT EVERYDAY AND HELP YOU ACCUMULATE SOME STATS. HE FINISHED WITH A 12-14 RECORD LAST SEASON, BUT HAS BEEN AN ACE IN THE PAST.
JONOTHAN BROXTON, SETUP MAN
HE SHOULD BE THE MAIN "HOLDS GUY" IN JOE TORRE'S BULLPEN. TRANSLATION... HE WILL THROW ABOUT 80 GAMES AND HAVE ARM TROUBLE NEXT YEAR. I WONDER IF PROCTOR OR STURTZE ARE ALLOWED TO TALK TO BROXTON? LOOK FOR BROXTON TO BE THE BEST HOLDS GUY EARLY IN THE YEAR, LATE IN THE YEAR I EXPECT HIM TO FADE FROM A TYPICAL TORRE WORKLOAD.
PLAYERS TO AVOID
JASON SCHMIDT, SP
HE'S HURT.. AGAIN. HE WILL BE HURT IN THE FUTURE...AFTER HE COMES BACK FROM THAT INJURY HE WILL GET HURT ONE MORE TIME. YOU CAN STASH HIM ON YOUR DL IF YOU WANT, BUT DON'T WASTE A DRAFT PICK ON HIM.
NOMAR GARCIAPARRA, 3B
I WONDER IF HE AND SCHMIDT WERE THE STORYLINE FOR THE MARTIN SHORT CLASSIC, "PURE LUCK". JUST LIKE SCHMIDT NOMAR IS MADE OUT OF PORCELAIN AND CAN NOT BE TRUSTED TO LAST THE ENTIRE SEASON. HE CAN BE ON YOUR BENCH AND YOU CAN CLAIM HIM OFF WAIVERS, DON'T WORRY ABOUT ANYONE DRAFTING HIM. IF YOU DO DRAFT HIM EVERYONE IN THE ROOM WILL LAUGH AT YOU.
SLEEPERS
JAMES LONEY, 1B
I KNOW HE IS A HIGHLY TOUTED PLAYER AND WILL BE AN ALL STAR ONE DAY, BUT I DIDN'T WANT CHAD BILLINGSLEY TO BE LONELY IN THIS SECTION. IN 96 GAMES LAST SEASON LONEY HIT 16 HOME RUNS AND HAD 67 RBI. HE SHOULD HIT AROUND 30 HOME RUNS NEXT SEASON AND THE DODGERS LINE UP COULD SCORE A LOT OF RUNS WITH THE ADDITION OF JONES AND TORRE SHOULD ADD SOME NEW FLAVOR TO THE OFFENSE.
CHAD BILLINGSLEY, SP
12-5 LAST SEASON AS A STARTER AND RELIEVER. THEY HAVE BILLINGSLEY PENCILED INTO THE ROTATION THIS SEASON AND HE IS FULFILLING THE EXPECTATIONS SET BY HIS FIRST ROUND DRAFT CHOICE SELECTION.
ANDRE ETHIER/MATT KEMP, OF
ETHIER BATTED .284 LAST SEASON AND HAD THE CHANCE TO PLAY EVERYDAY WHILE KEMP PLAYED 98 GAMES LAST SEASON AND HAD 10 HR WITH 10 SB. TORRE HAS A HABIT OF PLATOONING TALENTED ROOKIES IN THE OUTFIELD (*SEE SHANE SPENCER/RICKEY LEDEE) SO AS LONG AS THEY ARE SPLITTING TIME, I WOULD AVOID THEM.
Monday, March 10, 2008
2008 Boston Red Sox Fantasy Team Preview
The Red Sox are the defending World Series champions. We look at them position by position to see how they stack up in the upcoming 2008 season and what their roster has to offer fantasy owners.
Projected Lineup
CF- Jacoby Ellsbury/Coco Crisp (for now)
2B- Dustin Pedroia
DH- David Ortiz
LF- Manny Ramirez
3B- Mike Lowell
1B- Kevin Youkilis
RF- J.D. Drew
C- Jason Variek
SS- Julio Lugo
Starting Pitchers
Ace- Josh Beckett
#2- Daisuke Matsuzaka
#3- Tim Wakefield
#4- Jon Lester
#5- Clay Buchholz
On the mend- Bartolo Colon
Bullpen
Closer- Jonathan Papelbon
Setup- Hideki Okajima, Manny Delcarmen
Middle Relief- Mike Timlin, Julian Tavarez, Javier Lopez, Kyle Snyder, David Aardsma
Hitters to Draft
David Ortiz- Four players in all of baseball have averaged 40HR with 100RBI and 100R over the last three seasons. They are Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols, Adam Dunn and David Ortiz. Ortiz had what some would call a down season last year, and still was one of the best all around fantasy players in the game. The fact he is limited as being listed as only a DH in many leagues should not bother you at all when it comes to drafting him. He is just that good.
Manny Ramirez- Contract year. Expect him to actually play hard the entire season and that reoccurring knee injury to not flare up again this year. 35HR, 120RBI, .300AVG, if he feels like.
Mike Lowell- Mike Lowell has had more comebacks than Meatloaf. Every so often he looks finished and goes on to have a career season the next year. Last season Lowell hit .320AVG, with 21HR, and 120RBI. Don't expect number that good in 2008, but he should still be good for .280AVG with 90RBI, at worst. He is the type of player who is tailor made for that wall out in left, and that should keep him from ever falling into becoming an unproductive player.
Kevin Youkilis- I am not sure that Youkilis ever developed in the player that Boston thought he was going be, but he is still a useful player to have around on a fantasy team. He isn't an elite 1B, in fact he probably isn't in that second tier of 1B either. But he is still a dependable bat, and should be good for a .280AVG with 80RBI and 15HR. Numbers more indicative of a middle infielder, not a 1B. If your league counts OBP, he will be a bit more valuable, as few players are tougher at the plate than Youkilis, at grinding out at bats and taking walks.
Dustin Pedroia- Credit Boston with sticking with the young 2B until he was able to find himself a groove and turn it on. To be honest, looking at the numbers Pedroia is not a guy I would go out of my way to draft, but if he is around and you don't have a 2B he is a decent option. Pedroia does not hit for a ton of power or steal many bases, but he does hit for AVG and will score plenty of runs at the top of the Sox line up. He isn't a bad player, just don't overrate him come draft time.
Pitchers To Draft
Josh Beckett- Won 20 games and showed tremendous growth in his second season in the American League. He has proven himself to be one of the best in the game and is an ace workhorse for any reality for fantasy team.
Jonathan Papelbon- Best closer in the game. Look for him to continue his 9th inning dominance, and finish with around 40 saves, and ERA near 2.00, and plenty more Ks than IP.
Daisuke Matsuzaka- By many accounts Dice-K struggles through his first season in the Major Leagues and has been down graded on draft boards because of it. By my account many of those people are morons. In his first season in the majors he had 15W to go along with over 200IP and 201Ks. To compare, Dice-K finished with more Ks and IP than Josh Beckett. If his name wasn't Dice-K and he didn't come with all the fan fair people would be calling him the next coming of Roger Clemens. Look for Dice-K to continue to make adjustments, and become even more successful this season. 20W and 22Ks are not out of the question at all.
Tim Wakefield- Love veteran knuckleballers. Wakefield battled injury toward the end of last season and still managed to win 17 games. The wins were probably more of an aberration than they were the norm, but if he is as healthy as he claims to be Wakefield can win 15 games, given the potent Boston offense. Don't expect great ERA or K totals, but there something that can be said for consistency.
Players to Avoid
Bartolo Colon- I really couldn't think of anyone else to put here, this team is full of fine fantasy options. Colon could make the team out of spring training and win 10+ games if he is healthy all season. However I have serious doubts he will be healthy and even if he is healthy I doubt his stuff is still there to be able to do it consistently get Major League hitters out.
Sleepers
Jacoby Ellsbury- Not really a sleeper because every knows who he is. Ellsbury thrived in his 116 at bats last season, hitting 3HR, with 18RBI, 20R, 9SB and a .353AVG. With every word Coco Crisp saying being over analyzed and dissected it looks like he may be traded out of Boston sooner rather than later with the full-time CF job going to Ellsbury.
Julio Lugo- SS signed a big money contract before the 2007 season and struggled mightily the first half of the season. 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.
Jon Lester/Clay Buchholz - Two young pitchers with great stuff that could end up being the 4 and 5 starters on a strong Boston club with Schilling out until the mid-season. They should get favorable matchups pitching out of the back-end of the rotation and will get plenty of run support from a potent Boston lineup. Keep an eye on them during spring training.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
New York Yankees Fantasy Season Preview
The Yankees enter 2008 in an unfamiliar position - Underdog. New York is trying to rebuild on the fly and make the playoffs with a mostly young and unproven pitching staff. The line up remains solid featuring an unlikely mix of veterans entering their twilight, veterans still in their primes and young stars who have yet to enter their primes. We look up and down the roster to see who is worth drafting and who to avoid.
Starting Line up
LF- Johnny Damon
SS- Derek Jeter
RF- Bobby Abreu
3B- Alex Rodriguez
2B- Robinson Cano
DH- Hideki Matsui/ Jason Giambi
C- Jorge Posada
1B- Shelly Duncan/ Jason Giambi
CF- Melky Cabrera
Starting Rotation
Ace- Chien-Ming Wang
2- Andy Pettitte
3- Phil Hughes
4- Mike Mussina
5- Ian Kennedy
Bullpen
Closer - Mariano Rivera
Setup Man - Joba Chamberlain
Middle Relievers - LaTroy Hawkins, Kyle Farnsworth, Edwar Ramirez, Ross Ohlendorf, Brian Bruney, Sean Henn, Kei Igawa
Hitters to Draft
Alex Rodriguez, 3B - Just a hunch. If he was just a big bat, it would be one thing. Arod will help you mightily across every offensive category including steals. Add to the fact he plays one of the most scarce positions in all of fantasy and you have a better understanding as to why he is the #1 pick overall.
Derek Jeter, SS - Hard to believe Jeter is now 34-years-old. One of the benefits of drafting Jeter is that you know what you are getting. He plays everyday, hits .320AVG, will have around 13HR, 25SB, 100R and 75-90RBI. Last season he was banged up a bit and dealt with a variety of leg injuries, and still had a good season. Jeter dedicated this off season to better conditioning for his aging body, that combined with the fact, that he is just too smart, and too skilled a ball player should bring him to have yet another fine fantasy season.
Robinson Cano, 2B - Look Out! Cano has been steadily progressing each season and 2008 should be no different. This is a guy who is capable of hitting .320, to go along with 25HR and close to a 100 RBI. He should start the season hitting lower in the order, perhaps 7-8, but could see himself up into the 5-6 hole depending on how much veterans like Jason Giambi, Jorge Posada and Hideki Matsui can contribute.
Bobby Abreu, RF - Looked like he got really old really fast early last season, but turned it on in June and the Yankees success as a team followed suit. His HR totals have dropped in recent years, down from the steady 20/20 threat he once was and is now more of a 15/20 guy. That being said, in a contract year, maybe Abreu can find it in him to turn it back up in order to earn himself one more great payday.
Jorge Posada, C - The ageless catcher has been performing remarkably well during what should be the twilight of his career. Posada, has the advantage of being converted to a catcher while he was in the minors, so countless years and innings have been saved on his knees, that most catchers his age just can't handle. He isn't the best catcher in fantasy baseball, but he is at least in the top 5.
Hideki Matsui, DH - Lock for 20HR, 100RBI if the knee can stay healthy.
Johnny Damon, LF - Looked old and broke down at the beginning of last season, yet managed to turn it on in June and finish strong. Recently it came out that he was having thoughts about retiring before last season and showed up to camp out of shape, and that was the main contributer to his awful start. Damon should be a lock for 10HR+, and 30SB, with 100R.
Pitchers To Draft
Mariano Rivera, CL - Still one of the best and most durable closers in the game. 35 saves is a near lock every season, and this year should be no different.
Chein-Ming Wang, SP - Sinker ball specialist, is effective in 8/10 starts. It's the other 2 starts when his stinker ball is up in the zone and he gets pounded. As Yankee fans can attest to this normally only happens in the playoffs. Wang doesn't strike out many batters, but still, the 38 wins over the last 2 seasons are tough to ignore. No reason not to expect at least 16 wins from Wang again this season.
Phil Hughes, SP - Young pitcher and hyped future ace. He got hurt last year, and that cost him most of his season. Look for him to settle in well this year, and have an ERA of about 3.75 to go along with 15 wins. He will struggle at times, as most young pitchers do, but ultimately the good times will outweigh the bad ones.
Andy Pettitte, SP - Pettitte was the recipient of some bad luck and even worse run support last season. Pettitte compiles a decent amount of Ks, should win 15 games and have an ERA in the mid 3's.
Joba Chamberlain- He could be a starter and help your W and K totals, he could be a reliever and help you in ERA, WHIP and holds and if something were to happen to Rivera he would probably be the closer. Anyway you look at it, he is going to be really good and you should try to draft him.
Carl Pavano- ZINGER!
Players to Avoid
Jason Giambi, DH - Can still hit a HR, and draw a walk. The high AVG is a thing of the past, and the RBI totals will fluctuate edpending on his healthy. he is not someone you can depend on to give you consistent fantasy at bats. Avoid in head to head leagues, and try to avoid in rotisserie leagues as best you can.
Mike Mussina, SP - Tough to watch a guy who was once one of the best fall to the level where he is battling for a rotation spot. At the age of 38 Moose isn't going to rejuvenate himself into what he once was, yet there will always be someone who drafts him and says, "Bounce back year." Don't be that guy.
Sleepers
Shelley Duncan, 1B/DH - Should get a decent amount of a bats between 1B and DH. The Yanks are claiming, (as they have for years) that they want Giambi to take the 1B job full time and play everyday. The only problem is, Giambi's body can now barely handle DHing everyday, let alone the rigors of playing the field everyday. Duncan has tremendous HR potential, an old school slugger type, .260BA, with an ability to draw walks and 20+ HR.
Melky Cabrera, CF - Randy Winn type numbers (.290-.300-15HR-15SB) with more upside.
Wilson Betemit - Could get consistent at bats filling in around the infield, when players are injured, or just to help keep guys fresh. He is a HR threat, but won't really warrant a draft pick unless someone goes down in Spring Training.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
2008 Toronto Blue Jays Fantasy Team Preview
The Toronto Blue Jays are coming off a modest 83-79 campaign in 2007 which saw them finish third in the powerful AL East despite dealing with a myriad of injuries. The Blue Jays hopes in 2008 rest primarily on their pitching. The starting rotation is strong up front and features 3 talented youngster on the back-end while the bullpen ranks as one of the best in baseball, especially if BJ Ryan returns to old form.
Monday, March 3, 2008
2008 Milwaukee Brewers Fantasy Team Preview
2B- Rickie Weeks
SS- J.J. Hardy
3B- Ryan Braun
1B- Prince Fielder
RF- Corey Hart
CF- Mike Cameron/ Tony Gwynn Jr.
3B- Bill Hall
C- Jason Kendall
Starting Pitching Rotation
Ace- Ben Sheets
2- Jeff Suppan
3- Dave Bush
4- Carlos Villanueva
5- Yovani Gallardo (DL) Manny Parra, Claudio Vargas
Bullpen
Closer- Eric Gange
Setup- David Riske, Derrick Turnbow, Guillermo Mota, Brian Shouse, Salomon Torres
Hitters to Draft
Prince Fielder, 1B - A true slugger, who should hit .280 with 45-50 HR and well over 100 RBIs in a strong Milwaukee offense. He is much younger than Ryan Howard or Albert Pujols with the ability to hit for a better Average than Howard and is much less of an injury risk than Pujols. Being younger than those two also means he has the best upside and room to grow as a hitter, whereas we have probably seen the best that Howard and Pujols have to offer.
Ryan Braun, LF - Will be a LF with eligibility at 3B. If your league counts errors, he's a 3B stud. If errors don't count as a stat, he is still a stud. He should wind up being one of the top 10 players taken in your fantasy draft and will reward owners by the end of the season. He can hit for power, average and steal a base with the potential to deliver .300+, 30+ HR, 100+ RBI and steal 20 bases.
Corey Hart, RF - Have I mentioned how much I love 20/20 guys? He'll go 20/20 again this season, and should finish with bigger HR and RBI numbers, knowing that guys like Kevin Mench and Geoff Jenkins, can't steal at bats from him any more.
Rickie Weeks, 2B - Ignore the season numbers, and just focus on August and September. I grabbed him in August, after he returned to the majors after a stint in AAA and he was one of the players that carried my otherwise mediocre team into the finals of my fantasy league. In the season's final 2 months, Weeks hit 11 homeruns, scored 44 runs and stole 15 bases. He will never hit for high average or notch big RBI totals, however, Weeks is a legitimate 20/30 threat with the ability to score a lot of runs hitting at the front of a powerful Brewers lineup.
Pitchers To Draft
Ben Sheets, SP - The NL's version of Eric Bedard - great stuff but can't stay healthy when you need him. Sheets is in a contract year so he will have extra motivation heading into 2008. If he can stay healthy he is an excellent contributor across the major pitching categories and backed up by a potent offense. Of all the injury prone pitchers out there save for possibly Francisco Liriano, Sheets might be the best to roll the dice with come draft day.
Eric Gange, CL - Gagne is the closer on a team that should win plenty of games and in turn offer ample save opportunities. Ignore what happened in Boston, Gagne won't be that bad in the NL and appears to be one of those guys who just perform their best when pitching exclusively in the closer role. If he can remain healthy (big if with Gagne) 30 saves is a definite possibility.
Yovani Gallardo, SP - Young fireballer who turned an excellent rookie campaign in 2007 going 9-5 with a 3.67 ERA while striking out nearly a batter per inning. Gallardo will be the 5th starter in Brewer's staff and will get plenty of favorable matchups this season which should help his cause. Unfortunately, Gallardo had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee which has forced him to miss time in Spring Training and may push his 2008 season debut back a few weeks. For more information on Gallardo's injury and 2008 fantasy value check out our previous post.
Players to Avoid
J.J. Hardy, SS - Hardy possesses the two attributes I hate most in fantasy players. 1) He is injury prone 2) He is inconsistent.
Jason Kendall, C - Can't believe I really need to put him here but there are still people who draft him thinking he is a decent fantasy option. The one good thing about Kendall is that he is an absolute beast as far as playing everyday and being a gamer. Thats it really. Kendall can't hit for average anymore, could never really hit for power, and has lost whatever speed he had, Please avoid him and look at some of the sleeper picks we made for this category.
Sleepers
Bill Hall, 3B- A fine defensive 3B who will go under the radar because he we so mediocre last season.
Mike Cameron, CF - One of those guys I don't like, but must acknowledge as being someone who can put up very good numbers. He had 21HR and 18SB playing in San Diego, one of the worst hitter's parks in baseball. In Milwaukee he will play in a better hitter's park, surrounded by a much better line up. I really think Cameron could go 20/20, despite the fact he will miss 25 games due to testing positive for stimulants.
Friday, February 29, 2008
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.
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
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.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
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
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.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
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.
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
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.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
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".
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
Ace- Francisco Liriano
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.
Monday, February 25, 2008
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...
Hitters to Draft
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
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.
Friday, February 22, 2008
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
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:
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.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
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.
Off Season Moves
Projected Positional Starters
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
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...
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.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
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.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
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
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.
