Listen up and Learn

Hey Guys....

2007-02-22T19:37:00.000-08:00

I'd like to apologize to those of you who continue to check my site for my next list, over the past few weeks i have run into a bit of family problems that have taken up a lot of my free time. I will continue to try and get lists out there when i can during this time. When i am able to be back and on a regular schedule i will make apost to let you know. until then, just check back every other day or so to make sure i havent posted something. take care guys and thanks for the understanding.

The Teacher

Roaming the OF

2007-02-05T19:13:00.000-08:00

This week ill tackle the OF, this one took a bit of time, its 45 players long and alot of guys could move up a spot or two or down a spot or two. I racked my brain to put it in a finalized order, hope you guys like.

1. Alfonso Soriano - .280 - 115 - 43 - 110 - 36
Wont have another 40/40 season, but this is still enough to be the top dogg
2. Vladimir Guerrero - .315 - 102 - 36 - 120 - 12
He is starting to slip a little, but man those are still nice numbers. didnt get any help in the offseason, but when has he had help?
3. Carlos Beltran - .275 - 120 - 39 - 115 - 16
He is back as a fantasy stud, id like to see his average go up a bit
4. Carl Crawford - .308 - 94 - 20 - 82 - 57
He'll break 2o HR this year and keep his SB above 50.
5. Manny Ramirez - .320 - 107 - 36 - 121 - 0
Just Manny being Manny, any surprises here?
6. Matt Holliday - .318 - 112 - 33 - 118 - 9
Gotta love Coors field. could add double digit steals to these great power numbers
7. Jason Bay - .290 - 104 - 37 - 112 - 12
Didnt do as well as many expected last year but that was far from a bad season
8. Grady Sizemore - .298 - 128 - 31 - 89 - 26
Many will have him higher but i think that is more based on potential, not what he will actually do. he'll move up next year
9. Andruw Jones - .272 - 108 - 43 - 130 - 2
Contract year, he'll be great. Too bad he doesnt run anymore
10. Ichiro Suzuki - .331 - 114 - 11 - 52 - 44
Nothing surprising here
11. Carlos Lee - .302 - 103 - 41 - 118 - 16
Most people dont see the SB that he does get from year to year
12. Vernon Wells - .300 - 94 - 32 - 108 - 18
He will continue his rise, just got to prove his consistancy from year to year which he will
13. Bobby Abreu - .325 - 108 - 24 - 111 - 31
Doesnt have the power he used to but he is still running
14. Jermaine Dye - .302 - 100 - 36 - 108 - 5
I dont see him doing what he did last year, but he will still be great
15. Johnny Damon - .301 - 120 - 25 - 78 - 26
Been consistantly around these numbers for a while now
16. Hideki Matsui - .303 - 102 - 22 - 108 - 1
He will return from his injury ok, and play some more DH this year to protect him
17. Adam Dunn - .245 - 97 - 43 - 105 - 5
Hate the average, love the power
18. Jeff Francoeur - .271 - 89 - 31 - 109 - 0
Will form a great core with the Jones' this year
19. Juan Pierre - .285 - 100 - 2 - 35 - 54
SB is the only reason he is here
20. Delmon Young - .291 - 89 - 24 - 92 - 38
These are lofty expectations for a rookie i know, if he ups the pine tar, he should have great numbers
21. Gary Sheffield - .289 - 97 - 31 - 101 - 3
Wont have the type of numbers he would have had in new york, but will be a great addition to their lineup
22. Corey Patterson - .273 - 80 - 18 - 51 - 44
Nice power to go with all those SB. However, not the 30/30 guy he was projected as early in his career
23. Rocco Baldelli - .304 - 97 - 21 - 79 - 24
25/25 is not out of the question with this guy, wonder if he stays a dray all year long?
24. Torii Hunter - .282 - 92 - 33 - 104 - 14
Contract year should be a big one for Hunter.
25. JD Drew - .289 - 91 - 24 - 105 - 0
I like him hitting behind Manny in that park
26. Magglio Ordonez - .303 - 80 - 26 - 107 - 0
He is back healthy but not what he used to be, now is an underrated fantasy OF
27. Alex Rios - .297 - 75 - 19 - 79 - 13
Combo of HR and SB is what lands him this high, 20/20 isnt out of reach but i doubt it this year
28. Brad Hawpe - .286 - 72 - 24 - 91 - 3
Will continue to improve, helping to form a great fantasy style OF in COL
29. Pat Burrell - .261 - 81 - 30 - 97 - 0
I know people in PHI hate him but he is still a 30 HR 90 RBI guy
30. Mike Cameron - .266 - 84 - 21 - 80 - 21
Nice combo of power and speed, average is what keeps him down on this list
31. Raul Ibanez - .281 - 92 - 26 - 102 - 0
What a season last year, he just isnt that good. this looks about right
32. Barry Bonds - .265 - 62 - 25 - 71 - 0
If healthy he'll break the record, hopefully he doesnt get hurt, so we dont have to go through this again next year
33. Wily Taveras - .295 - 102 - 3 - 29 - 42
Move to COL will help him out
34. Nick Markakis - .281 - 76 - 23 - 81 - 1
I like the power he has in this park
35. Josh Willingham - .268 - 65 - 22 - 80 - 1
Another youngster that im sure i have lower than most, i just dont think he'll be as good as last year. Long term he will be better than this
36. Ryan Freel - .269 - 73 - 7 - 31 - 39
Speed, Speed, Speed, and at multiple positions
37. Chris Young - .287 - 94 - 18 - 61 - 28
I see him leading off in ARI, and doing a good job
38. Moises Alou - .302 - 65 - 27 - 82 - 0
Should fit in nicely in new york
39. Juan Rivera - .293 - 61 - 25 - 92 - 0
Broke out in LA last year, should continue to improve
40. Eric Byrnes - .275 - 83 - 27 - 90 - 13
Could be batting more towards the middle of the lineup this year, which will bring the SB down, if he doesnt, he'll break 20
41. Curtis Granderson - .263 - 84 - 18 - 65 - 10
good thing Ks down count in fantasy
42. Ken Griffey Jr - .250 - 58 - 24 - 69 - 0
Still has lots of power, but just know he will get hurt, even if they do move him to RF
43. Dave Roberts - .286 - 81 - 2 - 40 - 39
Another speed guy, he wont help you anywhere else, but you need SB to win
44. Aaron Rowand - .274 - 82 - 15 - 55 - 15
Another guy to help you get a few steals while providing a little of everything else, this is optomistic though
45. Jacque Jones - .270 - 70 - 23 - 78 - 11
not the 20/20 guy he used to be, but he still has power with double digit SB ability

A few more to keep your eye on:
Jeremy Hermida - I still think he'll be a great player
Jim Edmonds - Getting old and will be hurt at some time during the year, but still solid
Coco Crisp - Will move to the bottom of the lineup in Boston, hopefully it will lessen the pressure
Carlos Quentin - This guy is a long term power threat, this year he just misses the list
Jose Guillen - I think this guy is a sleeper this year, if he stays healthy he could be mid 20s HR

Questions:
12 returning owners from last year`s mixed 6x6 league want to go to keeper after this upcoming draft. It was suggested to keep up to five players each season. A draft pick ( beginning with the first round ) would be lost for each player retained. 22man rosters with 9 hitters/9 pitchers active. Should there be a time limit on how long you can keep a player? Are there any other rules you recommend. Thanks for your expertise.

Well i touched on this in an earlier post, but ill say it again. I would strongly recommend setting a number of keepers and leaving it at that. If you allow people to keep more and drop picks, you will have alot of teams with different numbers of keepers and stuff like that, just makes it much harder to work with. lots of leagues are now moving to only allow keeping a player for a certain amount of time, i think this is alot more realistic to some degree, however it makes it impossible for a team to keep a franchise player. I like the idea of allowing a team one franchise player that they can keep for as long as they want. Then maybe something like 3 years for anybody after that. Sounds like a good plan if you want to have a limit on how long you can keep players

Top SS for 2007

2007-01-31T12:57:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the delay again guys, family issues kept me from the computer til yesterday and then i was busy. Since this is becomming a trend, i guess just wait til Tuesdays to check in, HAHA. Anyways, here we go.....

1. Jose Reyes - .305 - 125 - 21 - 78 - 59
Hands down the man at this position. Will lead the league in SB this year and improve power slightly, and room for more improvement
2. Derek Jeter - .328 - 115 - 16 - 93 - 28
Some more HR would be great but its not killin him. He is still the #2 man
3. Miguel Tejada - .320 - 100 - 25 - 105 - 4
Numbers are pretty much down across the board but he is stillt he best power SS
4. Hanley Ramirez - .296 - 120 - 18 - 56 - 52
Hiding in Reyes' shadow, less power, less speed still crazy good
5. Michael Young - .310 - 95 - 17 - 102 - 3
Power numbers are down slightly, but still contributes big time
6. Carlos Guillen - .318 - 92 - 20 - 80 - 21
A surpise this high im sure, but i really like his ability to contribute in all categories
7. Jimmy Rollins - .275 - 120 - 15 - 65 - 37
Power numbers were a fluke to me, but he will still score and run often
8. Rafael Furcal - .298 - 114 - 16 - 59 - 33
I used to think he had more power potential, now i know he is just stuck in the teens
9. Felipe Lopez - .274 - 96 - 10 - 54 - 36
In washington his HR will barely crack double digits, but speed is his value and he should still run
10. Julio Lugo - .289 - 115 - 12 - 60 - 23
Hitting in front of that trio should keep him scoring runs big time, steals will go down on this team though
11. Stephen Drew - .298 - 89 - 21 - 70 - 14
5-tool guy, who wont be batting in the right spot in the lineup to show off all his abilities quite yet. he will be higher next season
12. Edgar Renteria - .290 - 98 - 15 - 66 - 12
still a solid contributer, doesnt have the speed he once had or the power for that matter, but you can count on him
13. Orlando Cabrera - .280 - 100 - 10 - 65 - 23
showed just about zero HR power last year and the trend will continue, but he will get you 20+ sb, good runs and a nice average. hits in a good spot to get some rbi too
14. Troy Tulowitzski - .275 - 75 - 15 - 60 - 8
His Sept call up was horrible, but given the starting job and a bad spot in the lineup this is what i expect, basically off of talent and no proof
15. Bobby Crosby - .260 - 65 - 18 - 71 - 9
If he stays totally healthy he'll move up, but judging from where i got him you know how i feel. loads of potential but who knows....

Some sleepers off the dome...
Johnny Peralta - had one amazing year and then fell off, ill bet returns to putting up solid numbers
Juan Uribe - will he play this year? who knows, but if so, he is a great source for HR from SS
Jason Bartlett - played very well down the stretch last year and should continue
Khalil Greene - Tons of talent, but hasnt been able to hit much in the pros, he is nearing his prime
JJ Hardy - injured most of the season last year but still has lots of upside

Questions:

Looking for some teacher advice.....

Plain and simple.

Vlad, Harden, Buerhle, Duncan for Grady, Bondy, Kazmir, Sexson

Thoughts?

Well since you are saying simple, im just gonna make this a fairly short answer. Grady's side. Alright ill go on a little. Grady is a stud, will never (imo) be a guy who dominates a single category like a vlad could in RBI and HR, but i think grady will be very good in every major category. Bonderman is a very good young pitcher starting to put it together, ive heard he may get some cy young votes this year. This could be the real break out year people have been predicting for over 3 years. Kazmir is an elite fantasy pitcher in every category but wins. With the way the Drays look like they could be building, he could be a cy young candidate in a few years. and Sexson is still one of the best power bats in the league. hope this helps

Next week ill be giving my top 45 OF, it will take longer so hopefully ill have it out on time...lol

Top Hot Corner Candidates (3B)

2007-01-23T18:53:00.000-08:00

Well, id like to apologize for the delay of getting this to the web. I got busy and couldnt get it up on Monday, then i looked earlier today when i had time and the site was down. But im here now, and here it is. Also if anybody has any feedback thinking that i ranked someone poorly or anything like that feel free to email me and ill discuss it. Also with your emails please if you can include your name and where you are located, id just like to see where people are from that read my content. Thanks, and here goes....

1. Alex Rodriguez - .310 - 115 - 41 - 123 - 15
He'll have a bounce back season, it shows how good he was that we were all disappointed with what he did last year
2. David Wright - .308 - 100 - 29 - 110 - 15
He will continue to improve his power, but the SB is the reason he is above Cabrera
3. Miguel Cabrera - .328 - 105 - 30 - 110 - 5
Pretty much a sure thing and he is what...25? Actually only 24
4. Aramis Ramirez - .300 - 95- 36 - 115 - 0
Lack of any speed keeps him behind the top 3
5. Garret Atkins - .320 - 105 - 27 - 110 - 1
Benefits from Coors Field, but hey, its all about the numbers baby
6. Ryan Zimmerman - .295 - 85 - 25 - 108 - 8
Should continue to develop and could be in the top 3 by next season
7. Chone Figgins - .290 - 100 - 8 - 55 - 55
This is purely because he offers speed at this position that nobody else does
8. Troy Glaus - .260 - 95 - 37 - 103 - 1
Great power but the average can kill ya
9. Chipper Jones - .305 - 85 - 28 - 85 - 2
Still one of the game's best, but cant stay healthy
10. Scott Rolen - .295 - 95 - 23 - 90 - 2
Another great one that needs to stay healthy
11. Eric Chavez - .275 - 80 - 25 - 90 - 1
Last year was due to an injury, he should bounce back. But he may not be the 30-100 guy he used to be
12. Adrian Beltre - .270 - 90 - 28 - 90 - 8
He gets a bad rap because of his expectations, but he has sneaky numbers, i like the double digit SB potential
13. Chad Tracy - .280 - 88 - 21 - 82 - 0
Solid, consistant guy, doesnt really have the potential to do worse than this, but wont be better
14. Joe Crede - .270 - 75 - 25 - 85 - 0
Back injuries will likely force him to miss a little time, but he should still be solid
15. Morgan Ensberg - .270 - 80 - 25 - 83 - 0
He was off to a solid start last year before getting hurt, i think he will improve but the 35-100 was a fluke year

A few others to keep your eye on...
BJ Upton - if he gets a starting gig he could be a great SB candidate at this position
Aubrey Huff - has great career numbers as a visitor in BAL, but will he start?
Mark Teahen - May end up moving to LF with emergence of the next guy
Alex Gordon - May win 3b job in spring training, and projected as a david wright type(down the line)
Edwin Encarnacion - high potential for power, but will have a bad average.

In response to the comments made.....
First of all it was a NL only league, so its Jeff Weaver not Jered.
Second of all ill respond to the person who commented on keeping all the best players...Jerry wrote me back and informed me that he would have such little money to get the remaining players so this is for him too. I realize that in an auction you shouldnt pay someone 35 who you can get for 30, however if you read his question he said that hitters go for a crazy amount, so i figured that aguy like andruw jones who is a 40+ HR guy at a price of 35 is pretty solid. In retrospect i would probably tell him to not keep Chipper or Wagner. I think chipper is too injury prone to realliy count on at that price. Although i think in an NL only league there is so very little offensive talent to go around that i think Chipper might be good at that price. I suspect you could get a closer or maybe even two for the same price as wagner, obviously they wouldnt be the best of closers, but it would be cheaper. As for the two players to replace them on the keeper list i would probably keep Maine, then Linebrink and then probably Armas. here are my reasonings for adding linebrink and armas. I think linebrink may get some time to close this year, if not he is still one of the top 3 set up men in the game and will get you a lot of Ks, a great ERA and a great WHIP. Also a great amount of holds if your league uses that. With Villareal i think its really questionable. Armas has yet to be signed in real life but he will sign somewhere (currently looks like PIT) and will be a starter. This guy has always had the talent and maybe a change of scenery is just what he needed. Keeping these two guys would allow you to save alot more money to pursue others. I would assume that most of the big bats in the league will be kept cause there arent alot to go around, so a guy like chipper who hit 26 HR last year in less than 400 AB may go for more than you paid for him originally. I realize that my original thinking would leave you with not enough, so i admit it, and i adjust. Also to the guy who said my advice was dumb because i picked only the best players, no offense to the guy who wrote in, but i still dont feel like there is much else to keep on this team. other than those 8 that i orginally listed there is linebrink and gordon that i would feel comfortable keeping. but due to the prices of the others, i couldnt keep gordon and went with armas.

Hope this was helpful to Jerry and i hope i explained myself to those who question me.

Gettin sidetracked for a few questions here...

2007-01-20T18:55:00.000-08:00

The Teacher, Thank you for taking the time. I am in 12 team NL only w/ $260 auction minus the keepers money. We can keep 5-8 players. Hitters go for crazy prices in auction.( ) will be the year in contract; we can keep a player for 3 years. I MAY BE CRAZY MYSELF BUT I HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT KEEPING PUJOLS @$49
My team Beltran (2) $37 A. Jones) $35 C.Ross (2) $6 Fla. L. Scott (2) $5 J. Encarnacion (FA) $14 A.Pujols(2) $49 O.Saenz (2) $1 C. Jones(2)$35 J.Carroll(2)$1 Blum(2) $5 W. Aybar (2) $5 Ja. Valentin (2) $6 D. Ardoin (2) $1
Zambrano (2) $28 Schmidt (2)$26 J.Weaver (2( $16 J. Sanchez(2) $6 J.Maine (2) $5 H.Kuo (2) $5 T. Armas (2) $1 Villarreal (2) $5 Linebrink (FA) $1 Gordan(2) $21 B.Wagner (2) $27 Thank You Jerry Hancock

Jerry,
Well you said 5-8 players and hitters go for crazy high prices. That said, i think keeping pujols is a must, you aren't crazy.
here is my top 5:
1. Pujols - best player in fantasy
2. Beltran - great overall player even stronger in NL only
3. Jones, A - contract year for a major power guy
4. Zambrano - most people will tell you to stay away from pitchers in low keeper number leagues, but Zam is one of a few pitchers who are annual cy young contenders
5. Schmidt - I expect a big year from him on that team, they should score a million runs

I dont believe in just giving you a list like some others will, i will explain my reasons so that you know why i picked these players and if you disagree you can change your picks accordingly. Also, i have the time to give you reasons unlike others, haha.
The combination of Pujols, Beltran are three of the top power hitters in the game, the fact that you would have them in an NL only league makes it even stronger. I think with these guys you will be able to fill in other positions with average to above average players and win the power categories (HR and RBI) and you should compete in Runs as all three should get around or upwards of 100. I think you are fairly thin elsewhere on offense which opens up the final two spots to pitching. I think you only have 2 guys really worth keeping. Zambrano and Schmidt. Zambrano in my opinion is an annual Cy Young candidate year in and year out at this point in his career. Even if you listen to those analysts who say pitching is too up and down to count on year in and year out, there are things that Zambrano does, that you can count on. He will get strikeouts, have a good ERA and a pretty solid WHIP. Only thing you'll have to worry about with Z is wins from year to year, but they should be alot better this year, so look for big things. Schmidt is a guy who is past his prime, yet still great. He is another guy that you can pretty much count on getting some of the major stats even if he wont get the wins youd like. He will get alot of strikeouts have a good ERA and a good WHIP. These two guys should allow you contend weekly in those 3 stats. Both are also on teams that improved during the off season and should therefore atleast keep their win totals. Schmidt should get more than 11.

If you are any where above 5 keepers, here is the additional list.
6. Chipper - just another power bat to add to a lineup that would turn dominating
7. Billy Wagner - should be a great closer yet again on a major winning team
8. John Maine - if he can continue to pitch like last season, he will be a nice cheap addition to your rotation

I know that i basically took the highest priced players on your team, and in my opinion the best way to attack a league like this would be to acquire the most stars that you can and then fill in holes with cheap guys. in a 12 team league there should still be enough talent to go around for you to get some players for cheap to fill your holes. Honestly i thinkj you have a great team to go with for the up coming season. Good luck, if you have any more questions, feel free....

12 returning owners of a 12 team 6x6 roto league want to go keeper after 2007 draft. 22 man roster 9hitters/9 pitchers active. It was suggested to have up to five keepers and lose a draft pick (starting with first round) for each player retained. Should a limit be set for how long a team can keep a particular player? How long is good? Any other rules to suggest with a set up like this? Thank you for your expertise.

Here are a few things id consider:
I would suggest just setting a keeper amount and sticking to it. When you get people having more keepers than another it just kinda screws things up. This being a new keeper league i would start with a low amount of keepers, as there are different strategies for keepers and one year leagues. Starting with a low number of keepers will more or less allow all the teams in the league to adapt their team to fit what style they want to pursue without feeling like they were screwed due to it being a former one year league.
In terms of how long a team should be able to keep a player, i think it is always been best for my liking to keep the player as many years as you want, as it is most like a real life situation. in real life if a team wants to keep a player for his whole career they pretty much can if they are willing to pay the right amount and thats how i feel. I have seen alot of leagues that only allow you to keep a player for up to 3 years at a time. That doesnt seem to be a bad idea, just not to my personal liking.
Only rule that i can think of is something that i would not suggest. I would not allow trades of draft picks. This confuses things and would mean that you have to have a very active commish to keep track of all this stuff. if you do allow it, id suggest that in a trade, no teams may have more picks+players than # of roster spots you guys allow. for example dont let someone have 5 players and 22 remaining picks when you only have a 25 man roster.

I also wanted to add this note. I would like for all you who submit questions to me to let me know what city and state you are from. Kinda like the live chats on ESPN and stuff. I am just curious to see where my readers are from. Thanks alot, and stay tuned for Monday's list of top 3b

Top 2b in fantasy land

2007-01-15T19:24:00.000-08:00

This week i will go over the top 2b around the league.

1. Chase Utley - .308 - 125 - 35 - 110 - 12
This was the easiest pick here. His greatness at such a mediocre position is what gets him so highly drafted.
2. Brian Roberts - .290 - 100 - 10 - 50 - 40
SB is king here. At such a weak position the SB are a big help to any fantasy lineup
3. Dan Uggla - .278 - 98 - 25 - 90 - 4
Outside of Utley has the most power at the position
4. Rickie Weeks - .285 - 105 - 17 - 65 - 36
This is mostly based on expectations, I think he'll stay healthy this time around
5. Robinson Cano - .325 - 80 - 13 - 70 - 2
He is hurt badly by his spot in the lineup
6. Josh Barfield - .280 - 90 - 15 - 55 - 27
I think he continues to improve
7. Tadahito Iguchi - .280 - 100 - 16 - 63 - 10
Mr. Consistancy, you can pretty much lock him in around here
8. Howie Kendrick - .290 - 74 - 16 - 70 - 16
Angels think he will be good, so do I.
9. Brandon Phillips - .270 - 69 - 14 - 69 - 18
I think he returns to Earth this season, but he is still very serviceable
10. Jeff Kent - .290 - 60 - 17 - 80 - 0
Definatly slowing down
11. Ian Kinsler - .285 - 70 - 16 - 60 - 12
Young solid guy, but nothing to special just yet
12. Jorge Cantu - .265 - 65 - 21 - 86 - 0
I think he ends up moving to 1b, but he will have 2b eligibility and if he returns to form could be a sleeper here
13. Marcus Giles - .275 - 93 - 12 - 58 - 14
Joining the Padres will hurt his power numbers, but playing with Bro could help overall
14. Jose Lopez - .285 - 85 - 14 - 75 - 3
Would have finished with a higher ranking had his power gone missing second half last year, i think he stays more consistant this year
15. Ray Durham - .280 - 75 - 15 - 63 - 3
I definatly don't see a repeat of last season, and I think age will catch up with him again

A Few Sleepers...Luis Castillo, Orlando Hudson, and Placido Polanco

No questions this week, so stay tuned next week for top hot corner players. I look forward to answering any questions you guys send me

Top fantasy 1B

2007-01-09T14:20:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the delay guys, i got really busy yesterday and didnt get to post this. Well...here it is

1. Albert Pujols - .328 - 115 - 48 - 130 - 5
No surprise here. Its the few SB that give him the slight edge
2. Ryan Howard - .310 - 100 - 54 - 135 - 0
He is really 1A to me. I think it might be hard for him to duplicate those numbers, but damn he is good
3. Lance Berkman - .320 - 97 - 43 - 125 - 1
Probably one of the most underrated players in fantasy baseball. Move to 1b could keep him healthier and provide better numbers
4. Mark Teixeira - .302 - 103 - 38 - 110 - 0
Return to being a top notch 1b.
5. Paul Konerko - .305 - 95 - 36 - 108 - 0
Has become pretty much a lock for 30-100. With Thome in the lineup with him, Konerko will not slide
6. Justin Morneau - .315 - 98 - 33 - 113 - 1
I think he will slip a bit this year. He hasn't proven he can be a MVP candidate every year. Even with a slight slip, those are nice numbers
7. Derek Lee - .285 - 100 - 37 - 109 - 8
I think he returns pretty healthy but not at the MVP level some remember him at. The SB are key to his value
8. Richie Sexson - .268 - 80 - 38 - 110 - 0
Hot second half proves to me he can keep his average in this range. Which keeps his value up
9. Carlos Delgado - .258 - 83 - 34 - 112 - 0
Batting average is slipping and so is he, but you could still expect the 30-100 in that lineup
10. Nick Swisher - .260 - 97 - 37 - 98 - 0
Batting average kills his status and takes away enough RBIs to keep him below guys like Sexson and Delgado
11. Jason Giambi - .250 - 90 - 36 - 110 - 0
Great power numbers but another batting average casualty
12. Prince Fielder - .287 - 83 - 30 - 92 - 5
Poor lineup in Milwaukee probably hurts his overall stats, but he isnt quite ready to be a fantasy stud. Very quality numbers though
13. Todd Helton - .298 - 92 - 22 - 90 - 1
He continues to slip, if he stays healthy and in colorado, this is what i see
14. Adam LaRoche - .280 - 85 - 28 - 90 - 0
I dont like him as much as others, im not confident he can improve on last year
15. Adrian Gonzalez - .297 - 80 - 27 - 90 - 0
Had a good break out year, i look for about the same this year.

A few guys on the outside lookin in: Lyle Overbay, Conor Jackson, Ryan Shealy

We are going into our fourth year year. I finished fourth last in first year- my first year of fantasy. I made it a mission to get better. I have done it largely through trading and drafting. Trading many guys like Helton, Gagne, Crawford, and others at their prime values. Drafting well and trading away Liriano, Verlander, Howard and others.Going into this year I am hoping to cap things off. Here is everyone's Dauphin Naked Mavericks, which is a spinoff of my rugby team. I have to trim to 14 players by end of February, but this is it for now. Just added Utley and Mauer for VMart and Manny.

I am going to try and make a move on Halladay or Sheets at pitcher. Any idea on who I move to get there.
14 Team League. Head to Head. 14 Keepers. Each keeper is for 3 years only. Contract years include 2007.Compete in following 6x6 areas:OBP H HR RBI R SBWHIP IP ERA SO W SVMy roster is as follows:C- J. Mauer (1)1B- Teixeira (2)2B- Utley (1)SS- Rollins (2)3B- A Rod (2)OF- Figgins (2)OF- Vlad (2)OF- Bay (2)DH- Hafner (2)Other Reserves- C. Patterson (2), Iguchi (2)P- C. Zambrano (2)P- Harden (2)P- Beuhrle (2)P- Smoltz (2)P- Jer. Weaver (2)P- Hoffman (3)P- Liriano (2)P- Pettitte (2)Pitching Reserves- James Shields (2), Papelbon (2), Maddux (2), Saito (2), Maine (2)

Dear Pitching Wanted,
Well im not sure if you wanted my suggestion for keepers and who to trade for halladay or sheets, so ill do both.

Here are your keepers as i see them.
1. mauer
2. teixeira
3. utley
4. arod
5. vlad
6. bay
7. hafner
8. figgins
9. zambrano
10. harden
11. weaver
12. liriano
13. papelbon
14. saito

Here is my explanation: I left out top guys like rollins, smoltz, hoffman, and others. The reason i take out rollins is cause his main value is SB, i wouldnt expect the same power output this year. and even i he gets the same power this year, with the team you have you dont need power, only the SBs he provides are valuable. Thing is, you keep figgins and he gets you 50+, bay gets you some, utley, arod, even vlad. you will be ok with SB. Hoffman is likely to only pitch this one more year, so i think you dont want to keep him as a keeper, smoltz is still great but i feel like you have some cant miss young SP so you gotta keep them. Also leaving guys like this available might allow you to open things up to get one of those SP you covet. I would offer up something with rollins, or patterson, with someone like smoltz. if you have to move one of your young guys to get an ace like that, then papelbon is the guy id choose to deal. the guy really cant improve his value any higher than it is right now. odds are he wont be near as dominant as a starter as he was a closer, alot of people are banking on papelbon to have a smooth transition back to the rotation, i dont think it will be that easy.

Hope this was helpful for ya.

Ill see you guys next time, where i will discuss the top 2b.

Top Fantasy Options begin

2007-01-01T23:51:00.000-08:00

Starting today with Catchers, I will post the top 15 fantasy options as i see it. This week will be C, I will make one post per week. Along with each player i will list my predictions as to how i feel they will do this season (batting avg - runs - homeruns - rbi - sb). All predictions will be based on a standard yahoo public league scoring (5x5).
I'll start by going around the Infield, moving to the outfield and finish up with starting pitchers, middle relief and closers. At the end of each list i will answer any questions that are sent my way. Questions or comments on the previous week's list are welcome and will be responded to in the following week's post.

Well...here we go, Catchers.....
1. Joe Mauer - .330 - 90 - 15 - 90 - 8
The higher average and few stolen bases put him on the top of this list.
2. Victor Martinez - .310 - 90 - 24 - 103 - 0
His possible move to 1b, scares me for the future, but for now he is a very solid #2
3. Brian McCann - .305 - 75 - 28 - 100 - 1
One more year of this production and i think he moves ahead of Martinez
4. Kenji Johjima - .295 - 65 - 21 - 85 - 3
Sneaks in here at #4, most people have him a few slots down, but dont sleep on this guy in an improved seattle offense
5. Ramon Hernandez - .289 - 68 - 24 - 86 - 0
He ended the season batting in the middle of the lineup, with Jay Payton and Aubrey Huff added to the lineup im not sure Hernandez will get the same rbi opps
6. Jorge Posada - .265 - 60 - 20 - 88 - 1
Aging catcher will still be valuable in that lineup. He'll see too many quality pitches to not produce.
7. Russell Martin - .278 - 70 - 14 - 80 - 12
The stolen base potential is what moves him up the list.
8. Ivan Rodriguez - .295 - 70 - 12 - 74 - 5
Still a candidate to hit over .300 but i think his bat might start to slip average wise a little this season
9. AJ Pierzynski - .290 - 65 - 17 - 69 - 0
Good all around production, doesnt hurt you in any category
10. Michael Barrett - .285 - 62 - 14 - 65 - 0
Was a fantasy stud for a catcher before getting hurt last season, im not convinced he is that good
11. Jason Varitek - .265 - 66 - 16 - 72 - 0
If he stays healthy i think he is still productive. Problem is, will he be healthy?
12. Mike Napoli - .240 - 60 - 18 - 63 - 1
May be the best pure power hitter in the group. Problem is he may not be a full timer again this year. Homeruns are what has him high on this list
13. Chris Iannetta - .275 - 70 - 15 - 69 - 0
Any Colorado catcher has potential, despite his poor spring showing i think he will have a fantasy impact
14. Paul Lo Duca - .295 - 80 - 3 - 43 - 2
The guy could hit for a .300 average and score 75 plus runs...but he wont break 5 HR or 50 RBI.
15. Bengie Molina - .280 - 50 - 16 - 65 - 0
His move to SF wont help his power numbers. He is one of the best offensive catchers in the league but not in SF.

A few Sleepers: Dioneer Navarro, Ronnie Paulino, and Josh Bard

Which Jorge Cantu will we get in 2007--

The one from 2005 or 2006....

Thanks.
-Robert

Thanks for the question Robert. I think we could see Cantu become the guy from 2005. Reason is i think that he will be moved to 1b. Tampa doesnt have a good option for 1b right now and i think their need to fit upton into the lineup will move Cantu to 1b. For this year Cantu might be a pretty good sleeper pick as a 2b, but if he loses eligibility he is mearly an average 1b.

More Baseball Info

2006-12-30T00:58:00.000-08:00

12/29/2006

Sorry for the delay guys, im sure you understand as the holiday season has come and now basicaly gone i should be back and ready to reply to your emails as soon as possible.

So bring on the questions:

Thanks for your site. Very nice.

What is your thoughts of Ryan Shealy. Stud or Dud?

Thanks.
Bob

Bob -
Shealy is a guy who i would consider a sleeper kind of guy this season, most people may have forgotten about him due to the fact that he was dealt to the wasteland known as the Royals. Honestly with Shealy id have to say he is right in the middle. I dont think he will be a stud for a 1b, and he definatly wont be a dud. I would project a 25 HR season with around 85 RBI and a .280 batting average. Id say he is a good late round grab. Given a few years in the pros i think Shealy maxes out at 30-33 HR and 100-105 RBI, However if the Royals can keep their monster prospects together, Shealy could be a part of a nice middle of the lineup behind Butler and Gordon. Obviously Shealy has better value in a keeper league than he does in a standard league, but i wouldnt draft Shealy early or trade alot to get him. 1B is always a deep position.

I'm from Seattle, I was wondering if you could give your opinion on Adam Jones playing this upcoming season and where he would fit into the lineup and at what position?

Thanks, I enjoy your site
Erik

Erik -
I really like Adam Jones long term. He has been touted as a 5-tool player and i believe the hype. After struggling last season in a late september call up some people have soured on him. I however have not. Before the Mariners signed Jose Guillen i would have said Jones would compete with Snelling for the RF job (ichiro moving to CF). With Guillen signed and Snelling shipped out in the Vidro deal, i would say that Jones would most likely be the 4th OF this season. However, since he is still very young i believe that he will spend some more time in AAA, and the Mariners will use someone else and allow Jones to get more at bats this year by keeping him in the minors. If Jones does well in the minors he should be the first man called up if there is an injury. If Vidro fails miserably at DH, i can see Bavasi benching him and moving Ibanez to DH, and bringing up Jones to play in LF. If Jones proves he is ready, i think that is a great OF, defensively and offensively.

In terms of where he would fit into a offensive lineup, i would think that he would end up in an 8 or 9 spot in the lineup this year. For the future i think he would be a good #2 hitter, with an upside of possibly a #3.

Hope this helps

The more emails come in, the more i will replay to. Thanks to all that have emailed and keep sending in your questions

Keepers, Rumors, and FA signings

2006-12-03T08:52:00.000-08:00

I've got one more keeper spot im deciding on. Here are the guys I'm considering for that spot: Harang, Wang, C.Young (sp), and Escobar. My goal is to win next year while still keeping an eye on the future as well, which is why most of these guys are still pretty young. Who should I keep?

-Max-

Ah, my first keeper question, and this is not an easy one. I will go through and talk about each of the options and what to expect from them and then tell you who id take.

Aaron Harang is one guy that tends to be a sleeper pick every year because he is not a big named player but puts up pretty good numbers every year. I think you can pencil him in for something around 15 wins and around 200 Ks. His ERA is usually pretty solid an under 4.00. Wang had a great year last year, if the only thing you are looking for is wins. This season I wouldnt expect a repeat in the win column. I think you could probably pencil him in for 15 or 16 wins, it is just too hard to repeat a high win season. Wang gets not strikeouts at all, but carries a pretty good era. Chris Young is a monster of a man standing at 6'10". He is not fully developed in my opinion yet and might have the most upside on this list. Pitching in San Diego will help keep his ERA down, while he continues to develop. He will not get 15 wins but could probably be penciled in for around 12 or 13. His strikeout rates continue to improve and should be good for around 160 or 170 this season. Escobar is the kind of guy who could sneak up and be a great pick this year. Playing on the Angels, a team who should win their share of games, he should be counted on to et around 14 or 15 wins. If healthy he is also good for an ERA around 3.60, and is a guy that gets nearly a strikeout per inning pitched.

My recomendation would be Aaron Harang. He should be good for an ERA around 3.75, which is one of the higher ERAs on this list, but not by much. However his true value comes in being one of the six players who got more than 200 Ks last season. To be exact, Harang was the #2 pitcher in all of baseball last year with 216 Ks.

Do you think Manny Ramirez will be traded? If so, who to, and for what?

-please no-

Well i gotta say that this is a very difficult question to answer. All conventional wisdom would tell you that the Sox wouldnt trade Manny because it would totally mess up their lineup. However you can just tell that Manny's time in Boston seems to be up. As most analysts have said, it just seems that the management in Boston is tired of Manny being Manny, and would like to get players that they feel are wanting to play in Boston. From what I've heard id say there are two most likely destinations. The first and most likely is probably the Dodgers. It seems to be a perfect fit in terms of needs and wants. The Dodgers need a big time power hitter desperately, and there are really only a few better than Manny. Also the Dodgers have plenty of top rated prospects that they should be willing to deal. Matt Kemp, Chad Billingsley, and James Loney have been the most talked about prospects in this deal. Jonathin Broxton has also been a frequently discussed player between the two teams. I would say that if this deal were to get done it would be something along the lines of Loney, Kemp and Broxton heading to Boston.

The second team is the San Diego Padres. Linebrink is apparantly available and Boston is in strong need of bullpen help with them shifting Papelbon to the rotation. other names that have been mentioned in a deal with San Diego are Adrian Gonzalez and Jake Peavy. I cant imagine that the Padres would deal Jake Peavy, and i dont think that Gonzalez and linebrink will be enough to get Manny.

A Few Free Agent Notes:
- Jose Guillen signed a contract to play for the Seattle Mariners. This is a signing that is probably going under the radar, but is a big move for the mariners. Even though Safeco isnt a great hitters park, i would say that he should be penciled in for around 30 HR and 100 RBI depending on his spot in the line up. I would look for him to start in LF, and have Ibanez move to the DH spot. This leaves potential sleeper Chis Snelling competing with Jeremy Reed for an OF spot. If Ichiro will move to CF, then Reed is likely out and Snelling is likely in RF. However, if Reed has a great Spring then Ichiro might stay in RF and Reed will play CF.

- Dave Roberts moves to San Francisco. He will move into the CF position and bat leadoff for this team. I think you can assume that he will do about the same thing as he did last year statistically, however dont expect alot of runs. Bonds will no longer be in that lineup and they dont seem to have people in that lineup that will get him runs. This could bump up expectations for Vizquel and Durham for next season though. Vizquel should be batting #2 with Durham batting #3 and with a speedster like Roberts in front of them they should get plenty of opportunities to hit singles and get RBIs.

- Podsednik resigns in Chicago. Podsednik has little value in real life. His SB is the only thing that keeps him in the line up. He has a bad batting average and suspect arm. He might be best suited to be a CF, but for some reason has played LF most of his major league career. With Ryan Sweeney ready to take over an MLB job, look for Podsednik to compete with Brian Anderson for the last OF spot. The White Sox are not that high on Anderson anymore, but i cant imagine them not giving him another shot in the Spring. If he does well in Spring he may earn a platoon with Podsednik.

- Adam Eaton has moved on from Texas and will now throw for the Phillies. I would say that this helps Eaton owners in fantasy circles. I wouldnt say that Eaton becomes a great player to own, but i would say that this move might put him on some sleeper lists. Eaton had a 5.12 ERA in Texas, but his ERA should go down getting away from that hitters haven. Going to Phili should see Eaton get around 12-14 wins and lower his ERA to the low 4s atleast. Keep an eye on this guy.

- Adam Kennedy signs with the Cardinals. This was a great pick up for the Cardinals. Kennedy is a guy who plays gold glove defense and can handle the bat as well. This is a guy who could bat early or late in the order and produce for you. You could bat him 2nd in the lineup behind Eckstein and expect Kennedy to produce around a .280 batting average, and do many of the little things to help get Pujols to the plate with guys in scoring position. He could also be placed in the 9 hole in the lineup ( a spot he often filled in los angeles) and expect him to average around .300. Either way i think his value should go up with him joining a more productive offensive lineup in St. Louis.

MLB Off-Season Part 1

2006-11-29T14:55:00.000-08:00

This off-season has been full of surprises, and most of them have not been good. I'll start off by talking about things that have already gone down. I am only going to go over some of the big moves so far.

The Moves
There have been many moves that i would will have a large effect on the fantasy baseball world.

Alfonso Soriano signs with the Cubbies. This is a monster move for the Cubs. Having a lineup that has Soriano, Lee, A-Ram is going to be huge. The addition of Soriano will be a great addition to this team. He will solidify this lineup and make sure that guys like Carlos Zambrano don't get too many losses after giving up just 2 runs. It's a good thing that the Cubs decided to increase payroll by a good 30 million this season. They spent a ton of money on Soriano and that is arguably not even their biggest need. They need pitching. As of now they have Zambrano and Hill as sure things in their rotation. Prior is a guy who if healthy will be int he rotation but who knows how long he will last. If they can get a healthy year out of Prior they will be a tough team. Fantasy spin: This shouldn't have too much of an effect negatively on Soriano. Actually he should improve his numbers this season. His steals might be down a little, but his power numbers will still be there. More than likely his Runs will improve as well with guys like Lee and A-Ram batting behind him in the lineup. Look for Soriano to finish with something close to 110-40-100.

Carlos Lee signs in Houston. In my opinion Houston paid way to much for this guy, but he will help them where they need it. With the decline of Jeff Bagwell, Houston has had a horrible time trying to score runs on a consistent basis, except for the few months they had Beltran. Carlos Lee will bat right in the heart of that lineup and with that short porch out in left field, i would think he could top 40 HR this season. I don't really think that he will be enough to get Houston over the hump, especially if The Rocket and Pettitte do not return to the club. In the end Lee got the same amount of money per year as Soriano, but over less years, that may cost the club in the long run, as Lee is obviously not equal to Soriano, but for now it was a move they had to make. Fantasy Spin: For Lee owners in keeper leagues you should probably like this move. He moved from a hitters park in Texas to a hitters park in Houston with a short porch out in left. I don't think his stats will change much overall but id look for his runs to dip as he wont have much behind him to drive him in. Something like 80-38-100 year sounds about right. You can also count on maybe 15 out of this guy.

Juan Pierre signs with the Dodgers. Now this was arguably the biggest mistake of the off-season so far. The Dodgers signed this guy for an average of 9 million a year. That will definitely hurt in the long run. Especially since the Dodgers have a top notch prospect in Matt Kemp who is pretty much ready to play full time. Pierre is a great player in fantasy because of his 50 SB he can get you. Problem is, in real life, those 50 SB are great but they would rather have someone that can get on base with regularity and give the other hitters around them the opportunity to drive in some runs on a more consistent basis. Pierre doesn't draw walks, and doesn't get hits. He is no longer the guy who can hit around 290 to 300. The guy is simply a 260 hitter with speed. Defensively he has good range but a noodle for an arm. Nobody in the league is scared to run on Pierre's arm. Well, maybe the Molina brothers. Fantasy Spin: No matter where Pierre plays he will have some good fantasy value because again, he gets those hard to find stolen bases. The Dodgers are a team that at this point are starved for a power hitter, and with the loss of JD Drew, they are hurting even more. Pierre may not get the usual 100+ runs this season if they cant find a fun producing player to stick in the middle of that lineup. Still count on the 45-50 SB though.

Gary Matthews Jr. signs with the Angels. This was another really really questionable move. The Angels gave this guy 10 million a year. This guy had a 249 career average before this season and had a break out year as a 32 year old. Also the guy is playing in a hitters park in Texas. Odds are that in Anaheim he will not put up similar numbers. The ballpark just doesn't seem to be as helpful to hitters as the one in Texas. I guess i can see why the Angels may have made this move. They needed a good defensive CF so that they could move Figgins to 3b or move him in a deal to get another power hitter. Matthews will provide good defense in CF for the Angels but don't expect a repeat offensively. Fantasy Spin: This is a guy who most people picked up mid season last year because he seems like the hot guy, so you wanted to ride him. He will probably get drafted this year in most leagues. With him in Anaheim, playing under the aggressive Mike Scocia, Matthews might see his stolen bases jump up a few. Here are my projected stats for next season, assuming he bats in the lead off role and figgins is shipped out: 100 - 13 - 70 - 17.

Ill touch on some more signings later but for now ill move on to some of the rumors from around the league.

Boston Red Sox
These guys seem to be the most active team on the market right now. At least with the big named players. The biggest news, as I'm sure most of you have heard on SC, is that the Sox seem intent on dealing Manny this year. Other than that horrible decision, the Red Sox seem to be close to signing JD Drew (MISTAKE!) and Julio Lugo. Although i think signing Lugo will be good for the team, as I feel he plays a good defensive SS, and i think he will be a good lead off man for this team. The ability he has to steal bases will be important for this team next year. In general the Sox are a conservative team on the base paths, however if Manny is gone and the team is counting on Papi (who will never get the chance to hit without Manny's protection) and JD Drew, they will need Lugo to get himself into scoring position frequently.

Los Angeles Angels
This team is on the market for a big bat. Although i am not a big fan of JD Drew, he might be a good fit for this team. Problem is, the Red Sox seem to be the most willing to over pay this guy to have him play on their squad. This leaves the Angels looking in other directions for a power bat. Rumors have been swirling for over a year, that the Angels were pursuing Miguel Tejada or Manny Ramirez, and just recently they have seen rumors of Vernon Wells arise. Problem is, none of these deals seem likely. The Red Sox want Scott Shields, and the Angels seem unwilling to deal him. Who knows what the Orioles are thinking (turned down Ervin Santana and Erik Aybar around the deadline last year). Toronto is trying to make a run at the playoffs this year, and dealing Wells would not put them on the right path to reach that goal. The newest rumor has the Angels sending Figgins and Santana to the White Sox for Joe Crede and Freddy Garcia. In my opinion this deal doesnt make sense for the Angels. Although Crede has more power than Figgins, it really doesn't improve their power enough to see me trading Santana. One suggestion i had come up with was a possible trade with the Yankees. The Angels deal Casey Kotchman (a good defensive 1b with a great bat, who struggled in his first opportunity), Ervin Santana (the young stud the Yankees need desperately), and Chone Figgins (who can play 3b for the Yanks). I would also throw in a middle reliever such as JC Romero, Brandon Donnelly, or Hector Carrasco...except for Romero, those guys would be upgrades to that horrible middle relief core. In return the Angels get Alex Rodriguez. This would give the Angels the big bat they need for the middle of their lineup, and they have enough depth in the rotation to hold up without Santana. They just signed Speier, so they have a little more depth to be able to afford the loss of one of those other relievers. Having Kendry Morales who can play 1b with Kotchman out of the way also helps. For the Yankees, i think this fills all their needs. Kotchman plays 1b moving Giambi back to his natural DH position. Figgins fills in at 3b and can be a fill in guy when the older guys on the team need a day off. Santana becomes the future ace of the staff and would probably benefit from learning from RJ and Mussina. Then there is the RP the Angels give, well with how bad the Yanks pen is, any quality arm will help, and that's what they get.

Stay tuned for more news later in the week. hope you enjoyed.

Listen up! Ya might learn something!

Joining the Fantasy Man Show

2006-11-29T14:51:00.000-08:00

I just found this website and emailed the man to try and join his team. Well here I am and here is my first post. I think this website is going to be a great service to those of us who cant afford to pay for good fantasy advice. I know that I am here to provide the best information I can. My goal is to give good answers to any type of question that my readers have. I will talk about all things fantasy. In my next post i will go over the Off-Season in Major League Baseball so far. I will go over some of the good moves and some of the bad moves. Along with some of the rumors I have heard as well as some of the deals i think should go down.

So Listen up! Ya might learn something.