Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickup Alert: Brett Wallace (3B)

Brett Wallace has finally been given the opportunity to show what all the hype has been about. You had to start to question whether this was hype or not. He was traded from the Cards to the A’s, then the A’s to the Jay’s, and now to the Astros. Was it he was that wanted or simply never meeting expectations? Well, after spending all season in triple A batting plus .300 and 18 or so HRs, trust me it was his desirability that had him on the move. With the departure of aging Lance Berkman, Brett Wallace was acquired and immediately put into the the Astros’ lineup. After tonight’s game he is batting .308 (4/13), 2Rs and 2RBIs. Nothing eye popping, but clearly this kid isn’t phased. If you have room on your team, roster the kid. If you are in a keeper league, you must grab him.

2010 Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings: Part 2

Welcome to part 2 of 2010 Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings. So you have seen how the fantasy football mock drafts results had some very different result after round 4 (If not see part 1). You have to wonder who the heck took Felix Jones in the first round? Gotta love them Cowboy fans! OK, let’s throw together a list of running backs I might target, what round and why. Remember this is based on a 14 team league. So if you are in a 10 team league adjust accordingly.

Round 1

1. Chris Johnson – Ten: No brainer! Look picks 1-6 are pretty solid, you can’t go wrong with any of these fantasy studs.
2. Adrian Peterson – Min
3. Maurice Jones-Drew – Jac
4. Ray Rice – Bal
5. Michael Turner – Atl
6. Frank Gore – SF
7. Rashard Mendenhall – Pit: This is where I probably pass on an RB in the 1st round. I rather take one of the top rated QB’s at this point in the 1st round. Mendenhall fumbled all last year and has fumbled twice in training camp this year.
8. Ryan Mathews – SD: I probably pass here as well. Unless I am in a keeper league. He will probably be very good, but not sure if this rookie is worth my #1 pick. Now should Mendenhall or Mathews slip to the 2nd rounds, then I might pull the trigger.

Round 2

1. Shonn Greene – NYJ: is the first running back I will target for the 2nd round. Jones is gone, LT won’t do much. Greene will be a monster!
2. DeAngelo Williams – Car: The next running back I will target, BUT if I got a premier running back in the first round I will probably see if Brees or Rodgers are available here, if not grab Williams. He is a year removed from a campaign year. But if he can improve on even last year somewhat he is a solid pick.
3. Ryan Grant- GB: I pass here. Overrated.

Round 3

1. Pierre Thomas – NO: Thomas is a steal in the 3rd round, otherwise I fill my WR slots. You might even grab him as high as the end of the second as you’ll be able to get a top WR in the 3rd near the turn.
2. Jamaal Charles- KC: I think this kid has awesome talent. But I think KC got Thomas Jones for a reason, and thats to save Charles of a workload that will save him for next year. Let someone else gamble on a breakout season.
3. Steven Jackson – StL: Great value pick for the 3rd round.
4. Beanie Wells- Ari: I pass on Wells every time unless he slips to the 6th round or later. I’ll let someone else overpay.
5. LeSean McCoy- Phi: I really like McCoy. I want him and I think he is an OK value in round 3, but I am nervous of his size as the feature back. New QB in Kolb should be fine, Andy Reid should be able to put together a scheme that McCoy can succeed in.
6. Knowshon Moreno – Den: A lot of people are touting him as the sleeper of the draft. I have no idea. All I know is…you never draft a Denver running back. But that was under Shanahan. If I already have two backs I pass. I still might pass for a higher ranked WR or QB. I rather seem him slip into the 4th.
7. Jahvid Best – Det: If this is a keeper league, then maybe I grab him. Otherwise, I just don’t see any running back being very good in the Detriot lineup.

Round 4

1. Cedric Benson – Cin: Great value pick in round 4, should be the featured man.
2. Jonathan Stewart – Car: If Williams goes down, Stewart will be money. But if I own DeAngelo it’s hard to take a handcuff in round 4. Williams is the yardage guy and Stewart likely gets goal line touches. So, taking Stewart here has upside.
3. Matt Forte – Chi: Forte not getting enough love, good pick in round 4
4. Ronnie Brown – Mia: Grrr! Ronnie Brown has screwed me in fantasy playoffs so many times. Can he stay healthy. Will he perform huge in a contract year? I don’t know, I think I finally look elsewhere…UNLESS Brown slips into round 7…then I gamble…again.
5. Brandon Jacobs – NYG: If for some reason I do not have my 2nd running back yet. I jump on Jacobs now. He could slip to round 5 or even 6 where I drafted him in the mock draft. But why risk it. His knees are healthy and he has a chip on his shoulder to prove his and the entire Giants are better than the 8-8 team they were last year.
6. Joseph Addai – Ind: I pass. Never liked him much. Could be he really screwed me as my overall top pick on ’08. I actually want to target Donald “DUCK!” Brown in some later rounds.

Round 5

1. Felix Jones – Dal: Speedster who can rip one off to the endzone any play. Slight health risk? Depends on who all is available here, but worth a look.
2. Reggie Bush- NO: Why does anyone draft this guy? He seems to have such inconsistent fantasy relevance. I pass always.
3. Marion Barber – Dal: Could return to top form, but Dal has a three-headed monster in Barber, Jone and Choice. Touches will be an issue. Definitely worth considering here though.
4. C.J. Spiller – Buf: Tremendous back with play-making skills. Can he overcome a bad O-line and poor passing game? Depending on how soon my next pick is and who else is available will determine how I go here. By no means though am I targeting this guy high though.

After this point I better have at least two solid running backs, and possibly three. There are very few guys I will be targeting from here on out so I’ll just list the player and what round I hope he is available in but not before.

Remaining Rounds

1. Michael Bush – Oak: Maybe just maybe in the 6th if he stands out as the best option for your fantasy team.
2. Jerome Harrison – Cle: If I am desperate for a 3rd back, I’ll grab him in round 7. Otherwise wait for 8 or even 9 if you think he’ll last.
3. Ricky Williams – Mia: I’ll take him in round 8 if he is the best available, round 9 or later would be nicer.
4. Steve Slaton – Hou: He was great in ’08. If he stays healthy, can be a real sleeper in round 8 or later.
5. Ahmad Bradshaw – NYG: Surgery on both feet, so watch closely any reports. But he has prolific speed and could be pined for a comeback year. 10 th or later.
6. Donald Brown – Ind: I’m targeting this guy for sure, I’ll probably reach if available in the 9th or later.
7. Tim Hightower – Ari: The probably goal line back available in round 10. Possible starter too.
8. Willis McGahee – Bal: I don’t particular like him, but he will likely get the goal line touches. Might wait for 11th, 10th if in need of running back depth.
9. Ben Tate – Hou: He is injured right now, so a possible complete pass in the draft. However, if he returns to camp worth a late round selection.
10. If LT and Clinton Portis make it past the 9th rounds, hey give a look at least! =)

In part 1 we talked about strategies to be taken into consideration, don’t get too caught up in this. In my experience, if you have prepared, researched and come to the draft with a realistic group of players you will target in each round. Then you will be fine, never panic and use you instinct. It’s more fun this way. One staple of advice is to always try and draft the handcuff to one of your top 2 starting running backs. A handcuff is the next player on the depth chart. This will protect your investment. Also, keep an eye on bye weeks. I don’t know how many times I have drafted all of one position and all my guys have the same bye week. Man that’s frustrating! Remember to try and keep your emotions out of it as much as possible. If you are going to drink while drafting, try and be moderate. Keep updated on your targeted players all the way up to the day of the draft. Sucks to draft an injured guy. I will do my best to post one final quick list of rankings per position in the waning weeks of most drafts to compensate for injuries and what not! Other than that, get a good nights rest, have fun and goodluck. Draft day doesn’t have to be a make or break event for you. Shoot us a comment or email if you have any specific questions!

2010 Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings: Part 1

The 2010 Fantasy Football Season looms, and we are all jonesin’ for a look at the positional rankings for the upcoming fantasy drafts. Today we will analyze Fantasy Running Backs. This is becoming a more troubling position each season as more teams move away from the feature back, and more and more NFL teams are moving to a tandem system of some sort. Whether it be the yard gainer and goal line back, or the change of pace, bull up the middle then elusive speed to the outside. Fantasy football managers will be affected one way or the other.

Drafting a running back isn’t like the old days (5 or more years ago), where you always drafted 2-3 RB’s in your first 3 draft picks. You now have to place value on carries, offensive line, passing attack and depth chart…shoot maybe even schedule. It’s really just getting more complicated than it should be. But there are some simple strategies you can take into account that should help you out. In part 1 of this segment, we’ll take a look at the 2010 Running Back Fantasy Football Rankings that seem to be the consensus across the net. Then we’ll look at which order Running Backs were selected in a mock draft that I participated in over the weekend.

In part 2 of this segment, we’ll build a ranking that reflects both lists with some sort of analysis. If all you are looking for is a quick look at a how the 2010 Running Black class is ranked. Just use the first list below. If you are interested in breaking down rankings further keep reading.

2010 Typical Running Back Rankings

1. Chris Johnson – Ten
2. Adrian Peterson – Min
3. Maurice Jones-Drew – Jac
4. Ray Rice – Bal
5. Michael Turner – Atl
6. Frank Gore – SF
7. Rashard Mendenhall – Pit
8. Ryan Mathews – SD
9. DeAngelo Williams – Car
10. Steven Jackson – StL
11. Shonn Greene – NYJ
12. Jamaal Charles – KC
13. Ryan Grant – GB
14. Pierre Thomas – NO
15. Beanie Wells – Ari
16. Jahvid Best – Det
17. Cedric Benson – Cin
18. LeSean McCoy – Phi
19. Knowshon Moreno – Den
20. Jonathan Stewart – Car
21. Joseph Addai – Ind
22. Felix Jones – Dal
23. Ronnie Brown – Mia
24. Reggie Bush – NO
25. Matt Forte – Chi
26. Justin Forsett – Sea
27. Brandon Jacobs – NYG
28. Ricky Williams – Mia
29. Ahmad Bradshaw – NYG
30. Fred Jackson – Buf
31. Marion Barber – Dal
32. Jerome Harrison – Cle
33. C.J. Spiller – Buf
34. Ladanian Tomlinson – NYJ
35. Clinton Portis – Was

For the most part, I think the 20 running backs in that list belong and are pretty appropriately ranked. But we’ll get to guys I would target instead in a moment. Now, take a look at a mock draft I was in and let’s see how close these lists are when guys are selecting under the gun of a timer, using emotion (which can be translated as passion, and that can be a good thing!), but not logic. And reaction to other positional runs.

You know how it is; you are cruising through the first round and you already to take a 2nd running back because pretty much all the QB’s are still out there. You don’t have a pick for 8 picks and all of a sudden 4 more QB’s are off the board! Panic Attack! You worry you won’t have a decent QB available, you take the next highest rated QB on your turn who you weren’t even considering. Don’t be bullied into a poor decision. It’s true you may not have a top tier QB, but you have two advantages to your side. There is always a breakout QB available in the mid tiers, so you’ll just have to target maybe 2 picks to go to QB’s in the middle rounds and hopefully your percentage play pans out. Also, that QB run their led to a lot of players on the board for you that should have not been there for you but are. Bingo! Value picks!

OK, so this mock draft results were a 14 team league, and snake ordered draft. Compare this list from the top list. You’ll notice the first two rounds are similar, but then the reaching begins.

2010 Running Back Rankings From Mock Draft Results

1. Chris Johnson – Ten
2. Adrian Peterson – Min
3. Maurice Jones-Drew – Jac
4. Ray Rice – Bal
5. Michael Turner – Atl
6. Frank Gore – SF
7. Felix Jones – Dal
8. Rashard Mendenhall – Pit
9. Ryan Mathews – SD
10. Steven Jackson – StL (End of 1st Round)
11. Jamaal Charles – KC
12. DeAngelo Williams – Car
13. Shonn Greene – NYJ
14. Ryan Grant – GB (End of 2nd Round)
15. Pierre Thomas – NO
16. Beanie Wells – Ari
17. LeSean McCoy – Phi
18. Knowshon Moreno – Den
19. Jahvid Best – Det (End of 3rd Round)
20. Jonathan Stewart – Car
21. Cedric Benson – Cin
22. Joseph Addai – Ind
23. Ronnie Brown – Mia
24. Matt Forte – Chi (End of 4th Round)
25. Reggie Bush – NO
26. Marion Barber – Dal (End of 5th Round)
27. Thomas Jones – KC
28. Clinton Portis – Was
29. Brandon Jacobs – NYG (End of 6th Round)
30. Michael Bush – Oak
31. Ricky Williams – Mia
32. C.J. Spiller – Buf
33. Laurence Maroney – NE (End of 7th Round)
34. Chester Taylor- Chi (Rounds 8 – 11 follow)
35. Ahmad Bradshaw – NYG
36. Justin Forsett – Sea
37. Fred Jackson – Buf
38. Jerome Harrsion – Cle
39. Ben Tate – Hou
40. LaDainian Tomlinson – NYJ
41. Montario Hardesty – Cle
42. Steve Slaton – Hou
43. Carnell Williams – TB
44. Arian Foster – Hou
45. Darren Sproles – SD
46. Donald Brown – Ind
47. Darren McFadden – Oak
48. Julius Jones – Sea
49. Kevin Smith – Det (Rounds 13-15 follow)
50. Willis McGahee – Bal
51. Tim Hightower – Ari
52. Dexter McCluster – KC
53. Marshawn Lynch – Buf
54. Glen Coffee – SF
55. Tashard Choice – Dal
56. Larry Johnson – Was

Soak it all in. Then ask yourself…how does Tim Hightower slip to round 13, pick 182? I’ll start with the top 3 running back most slighted in this fantasy mock draft selected after round 8 and note who shouldn’t have slipped this far and at what pick.

1. Tim Hightower round 13, pick 182: This guy is a goal line hawk. He is going to compete with Wells for the starting gig, but he has stated he is motivated to keep his starter label. Wells has also been criticized by teammates as “soft.” That can’t be good. You really want to take a gamble on Hightower after the 10th round or so but don’t expect him to slip this deep in most leagues.
2. Jerome Harrison round 10, pick 129: This is just a slap in th eface to Harrison and the entire Browns squad. Hardesty just injured his knee, so Harrison is definitely the feature back. He had a solid end of season. I suppose the big scare is injury proneness and a lack of a passing game…like seriously none.
3. Steve Slaton round 10, pick 136: OK, maybe everyone is afraid of the fumbles, the neck surgery and the selection of Ben Tate in the NFL draft by Houston. Still, until otherwise noted, Slaton is the starting RB for a great passing team, that has red zone issues at times and turns to the run.

We’ll stop here, and pick up in part 2 just some simple strategies to take advantage of some of the poor moves almost always made by other managers.

Jeremy Hellickson Conundrum

So if you are in a weekly or day to day or even a daily fantasy baseball league, you might have jumped on Jeremy Hellickson MLB career preview Monday night. It was great, 3 hits, 6 Ks, retired the first 10 batters, and a win. And then he promptly shipped back to triple A. Ugh! Don’t fret…he will be back, but maybe only as a reliever. Still I would keep him on your roster if you have the room. He could make a few spot starts and get promoted is Wade Davis struggles again. And if you are in a keeper league this is a no-brainer!

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Search: Week 18

Week 18 of most fantasy baseball formats begins tomorrow, time to scour the waiver wire for roster upgrades or replacements. Some notable losses to injury were Johnny Damon, Chris Coghlan, Joel Pinero, Joe Mauer, Jason Bay, Shane Victorino, Milton Bradley and Ben Zoebrist. We’ll try and look at suitable pick-ups for each spot in the lineup. We’ll select players who have been hot in the last week to month, and will be typically owned by half of the leagues or less out there. Taking a look at batting first:

First Base

 Lyle Overbay- TOR: With his job safe now that Brett Wallace has been traded, he is rewarding management with a decent last month.
Melvin Mora- COL: If you need a spot start 1B Mora would make an adequate addition, and soon as he cools though, take notice. Mora may be eligible in your league for 2B and 3B.
Ike Davis – NYM: Not a great week at the plate, but still leading all rookie with 52 RBIs and his 15 are right there at the top as well.
Michael Morse – WAS: Hit .400 this week, though no power.  Adam Dunn trade never happened, so playing time will continue to be an issue.

Second Base

Jeff Keppinger- HOU: With the trade of Berkman, Keppinger has recently been slotted as the #3 hitter. He has always maintained a plus .300 average, so this could afford him some decent production. (SS/3B)

Third Base

Chris Johnson- HOU: OK, Johnson has gone from watchable to pretty much get on your roster. This is the 2nd week in a row is has batted near .500, also providing weekly line of  3Rs, 2HRs, 5RBIs and 1SB. Roster him!

Short Stop

Ian Desmond- WAS: A highly touted rookie who hasn’t provided eye-popping stats, but plays a scarce position and will provide some steals. a possible consideration for keeper in those formats. (2B)
J.J. Hardy- MIN: Hardy looks like he has found his productive swing again, albeit no power. Still he has maintained close to a .350 avg. for about a month so if you are hurtin’, you might wanna give him a shot. And if his power returns…score!

Outfield

Dexter Fowler- COL: Leadoff man for the Rox, that’s always a plus for Run and Stolen Base production. He has had a solid month and batted plus .300 this week.
Mike Stanton- FL: A rookie noted for his power. It’s been his avg. that has kept him on the waiver wire inmost leagues. Well this week he hit .292 with a couple more bombs for nine on the year. His numbers could really start to rise as he gets more comfortable. In keeper formats definitely take a closer look.
Matt Joyce- TB: I watch an absolute moonshot against the Yankees last night. This guy has serious power. Playing time has been the issue, but it’s been regular lately. He sports a career .500 slugging percentage in 350 plus at bats you know the power is legit.

Catcher

Yorvit Torrealba- SD: Was 6 for 11 this week, so still keeping avg. conscious owner happy.
Kurt Suzuki- OAK: A very capable player, who won’t deliver anything spectacular but is consistent.
Carlos Ruiz – PHI: Has been on an a tear this week 3Rs, 1HR, 7RBIs, 1SB and batting .400. Not likely to maintain these numbers but could keep them close.

Now let’s switch to pitching:

Starters

Bronson Arroyo- CIN: Just about 50% owned, Arroyo has returned solid dividends for owners over the last month. 4Ws, 19Ks, 3.02ERA, 0.89WHIP.
Vincente Padilla- LAD: Still available for the stretch run. He is very likely available in your league and has provided a line of 2 Ws, 27 Ks, 1.42 ERA and .85 WHIP in his last 31 innings.
WadeDavis- TB: Perhaps with prospect Jeremy Hellickson looming over his shoulder, Davis has delivered an admirable line. Over the last month he has 4 Ws, 18Ks, 3.03ERA and 1.19 WHIP.

Closers

Joel Hanrahan- PIT: With the trade of Octavio Dotel, Hanrahan is more than likely to get the job.
Drew Storen -  WAS: Another trade likely promotes this man. Considered for a long time to be the closer of the future, Matt Capps no longer stands in the way.
Chris Perez – CLE: And after another trade, Kerry Wood, another promotion. OK, Perez actually has done this job most of the year, but Wood was an obstacle.

Relievers

Sean Marshall- CHI: If his 2nd half is a good as his first his line would look something like 10-12 Ws, 120Ks, 1.80 ERA and1.00 WHIP. Pair him up with another quality reliever and you have a staff ace in the two.

Other mentionable relievers are Hong-Chih Kuo,  Luke Gregerson, Johnny Venters and Scott Downs.

Fantasy Baseball Reliver Round-up

After the myriad of trades, it seems no position has made more changes than closer. Here is a quick list of what has transpired:

• Matt Capps to Min. Jon Rauch gets a demotion, Drew Storen likely gets the closer job in Was.
• Octavel Dotel to LAD. Dotel will be a setup man now, Joel Hanrahan will be the closer in Pit.
• Kerry Wood to NYY. Wood now a setup man, Chris Perez solidifies the closer  job in Cle.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickup Alert: Drew Storen (P)

If you are in need of some sames, more than likely Drew Storen will be the Washington Nationals new closer after they traded away Matt Capps. Try and grab Capps quickly, he should be available except for the deepest and most experienced fantasy leagues.

Fantasy Football Drafting Strategies 2010

There are a lot of different thoughts to drafting, and to be honest it really depends on the type of league, scoring format, number of managers and  manager experience to really determine the best strategy. However, solid judgement, lack of emotional influence, good research, a plan and lots of luck usually are all you really need to score big on draft day.

I’ve won a good percentage or at least finished in the top 3 in the majority of fantasy leagues I participate in. I attribute my success to understanding the impact of the real football game versus the fantasy football game. The rest is studying the value of certain players. There are going to be some players that you pretty much know what you get year ;in and out. These would be guys like Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Larry Fitzgerald, Andre Johnson, Adrian Peterson, Maurice Jones-Drew and so on. Guys like these are committed to winning and have the talent to excel at the pro level. Without at least a few of these type fantasy football players targeted in your draft you won’t stand a chance. But the real difference between the average drafter and the great drafter is identifying a great value pick.

Take, for instance, this years 2010 fantasy football draft. I have no doubt in my mind that the top 5 players selected in 90% of drafts will include a few names such as Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson, Jones-Drew, Michael Turner, Drew Brees, Andre Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald. Trust me, there will be some combination of these guys off the board in the first round for sure. And yes, this year if you are not selecting Chris Johnson with the number one overall pick then I hope your league awards 6 points for TDs or is a PPR league. The point is, we have an idea of who is going to be off the board in the top of the first round. However, say you draft at the turn or last and assuming your league uses the typical snake draft. Your team gets back-to-back picks, and you will wait a long time to pick again. So you better pick wisely.

Some players will tell you that you always draft two running backs with your first two picks. This is absurd because it totally depends on your league scoring format. If QB’s get 6 points for TDs thrown, then a top tier QB is worth quite a bit. More so, RBs have the tendency to get hurt, giving opportunity to younger RBs to show what they can do, giving you ample chances to snag one of these guys up throughout the year. Where otherwise, you are likely stuck with the QB you drafted unless you make a trade or someone has a sleeper type breakout performance at the Quarterback position.

Admittedly, I love the running back position, but personally (and not following any particular order) I try to draft 1 Quarterback, 1 Wide Receiver, 2 Running Backs and a flex player meaning either a RB or WR. Whoever is rated highest by your standards or someone else’s if you’re just are not sure.

Begin the season by preparing for the draft at least a week in advance. Although, if you really want to be prepared several weeks in advance would be better. When the late rounds come and a player like Brent Celek is available as late as pick 135, you should be the one anticipating his underrated value and capitalize on that pick. Trust me, I don’t care how big of a football fan you are, near the end of a draft, especially the last 3-4 rounds of a 14-16 round draft, you start to get glassy-eyed and the names start requiring a deeper search into your mind. Not only that but sometimes the players you want are not always ranked as you would expect. So in these last few rounds the time to make a selection seems to just burn off for you. This is where early preparation really helps. It gives you an edge in identifying the player you want and if you practiced mock drafts (and you should do at least one), you have an idea what will happen almost predicting picks.

Kickers, Tight-Ends and Defences usually don’t get drafted too high by me, and again this depends on your league. I am in one money league where the TE position gets I think 1.25x the scoring of a typical WR and, if they break the 80 yard threshold, a 5 point bonus. Wanna know why? Most TE’s never accomplish this in a single game, let alone across a season. Even Antonio Gates, who I have had in this league one year only capitalized a hand full of times on these bonuses. Sure when that happens its awesome, but think about where you would have to draft Gates. You are probably missing out on Aaron Rodgers, Deshaun Jackson, or any other number of players that will likely outperform the TE position, including Gates, each week on average. But this is a judgement call and an opinion, one you have to make.

Mock drafts are great. You don’t even need to join an actual draft, just go to whatever site your league will be in and look at the pre-rankings area. You can assign yourself a draft slot and practice your own mock draft. When I do this I don’t practice every single possible draft slot. You’ll usually have a very good idea of what will happen simply by practicing the first, last and a middle slot. When you finish any mock draft look at your results. What do you think of your team? This is your chance to evaluate any weaknesses, but definitely identify your strengths. Could you have selected a different player in another round who would have been available to address this weakness and perhaps sacrifice your area of strength? A balanced fantasy team is one built for the playoffs, but making the playoffs is only your first step. I have noticed balanced teams do not perform so great in championship games. This is usually because of a few factors. One, you do not have any one area that dominates on scoring. Two, your star players play for teams that in real life play for perennial contenders and they get rested in the waning weeks – meaning you just lost your some of your pop, big-time! This can be countered near the end of the season with a trade in your favor or free agent hoarding of promising players who could potentially replace those types of rested players at the end of the season.

Now that you have been through your mock drafts. You have an idea of who will be available when you select. It’s just as important to know who you don’t want to select. A popular phrase in fantasy sports is to “never pay for a breakout season.” Ever. I fully stand behind this. Roster changes, trades, free-agency, injury, age and luck always play a vital role at the start of each season to evaluate players. If a guy is a rookie or has been a mediocre player in years past, but has a very great season do not overpay. I am not saying you can’t target them, but definitely assign this player a proper value rank. If he has yet to really prove himself, do not select him above a guy who can provide similar numbers and has proved it for years. Let someone else over pay. And you know why if you have been in many drafts. Guys you might have wanted to target who probably were not available in your mock drafts start to fall through. They begin to gain value by being undervalued by others. Capitalize on these anomalies that happen every single football draft.

OK, so since the rest of the draft relies on studying which players to target, we’ll address that in our next posts. Maybe I’ll even post the results of a mock draft or two to get you an idea of what to look for. Good luck!

MLB Trade Speculation: Impact on Fantasy Owners

First off, we’d like to congratulate Matt Garza of the Tampa Bay Rays of the first no-hitter in the team’s history! Beyond that we take a moment to discuss the impending trade deadline approaching. This is a fun time of year for some owners. That sleeper hitter or pitcher gets traded to a contender and all of a sudden you have a top tier player on your hands. So far, we have gotten pitchers Cliff Lee and Dan Haren traded to the always hot American League West. Both the Rangers and Angels have high caliber teams, many picking the Rangers to take it all this year. Who else could benefit from a trade and has their name on the tongues of general managers?

Milwaukee has a couple of possible trade candidates in Prince Fielder and Corey Hart. You know what you get in Fielder, but Hart has been a homerun  factory it seems this year…well in Corey Hart standards. Roy Oswalt is a topic of hot discussion. He would be a welcomed arm to any contender, only problem is his huge salary and no-trade clause. Also, the Astro’s asking price has been said to be way too high. Still, this might be a good time to throw a buy-low trade offer to an Oswalt owner and take a gamble. Even if he doesn’t get traded he is the staff ace and Pence is on fire again and Carlos Lee can’t flirt with the mendoza line all year right…right? Derrick Lee, Carlos Pena, Jorge Cantu and Jose Guillen have also been shown interest. Of these names only Cantu really stands out as someone who could really prosper from this. Guillen also is a solid hitter, who has been a nice run producer. It would be interesting to see. Jayson Werth is someone the Phillies might try to move and given his present position on a great team, I would think this a downgrade anywhere he went that makes sense. Finally the Diamond Backs, word is their entire roster is free for the choosing aside from probably Justin Upton, but with Haren already ushered who else do we care about?

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Search – Week 17

It’s the end of the week of July 19th-25th, time to scour the fantasy baseball waiver wire for roster upgrades or replacements. Some notable losses to injury were Matt Weiters, Ben Sheets, Carlos Guillen and David DeJesus. We’ll try andlook at suitable pick-ups for each spot in the lineup. We’ll select players who have been hot in the last week to month, and will be typically owned by half of the leagues or less out there. Taking a look at batting first:

First Base

Gaby Sanchez- FLA: This guy is relatively very unowned. While batting over .300 on the year and 11 dingers.
Ike Davis – NYM: Lately a power surge with 3 round-trippers this week and 6 RBIs. Will not help your Avg.
Michael Morse – WAS: Great hitter has been hot in spot starts. Needs more playing time, but Adam Dunn trade could provide that. Keep tabs on this guy for sure.

Second Base

Neil Walker - PIT: A talented young player who has been a very consistenthitter for over a month. Will not hit too many HRs, but will supply a decent AVG, Runs and occasional RBIs and SBs.
Reid Brignac- TB: Another player withgreat hitting skills. Playing was an issue for awhile, but that has seemed to not be an issue lately. Hot this week with 3HR’s, & RBIs and a .471 Avg. Both Walker and Brignac are better options than the currently higher rated starters in Orlando Hudson, Skip Schumaker and Christian Guzman.

Third Base

Chris Johnson- HOU: Not a whole lot of good things happening for the Astros, but that means giving playing time to rookies and Chris Johnson has been a nice surprise and has hit his couple of ML HRs this week. While also hitting almost .500, 6 Rs and 8 RBIs. Clearly a young player to stash away and see if he sticks.

Short Stop

Starlin Castro- CHI: Nothing flashy, but will supply Avg. and occasions SBs.

Outfield

Jose Tabata- PIT: It is a shame this guy is not owned in more leagues. He is the table setter for a young Bucs lineup. He has little to no power and hits around .270, but he provides a lot of speed for Rs and SBs. Although this week has hit .375 with 7 RBIs adding 9Rs and 2 SBs.
Luke Scott - BAL: When Scott is in the zone he can hot with the best, and lately he has been locked in batting .450 this week and a pair of HRs.
Matt Diaz- ATL: Has been on fire since returning from injury, this week .550, 3 dingers and 9 RBIs. He is a streaky hitter, play him while he is hot.

Catcher

Yorvit Torrealba- SD: He maintains a nice +.330 Avg usually and will provide sparingly in other categories.
Jason Kendall- KC: A scrappy veteran who can fill a void if your starting C is down. More importantly, should keep a healthy enough Avg. to not hurt you there. All other stats are bonus.

Now let’s switch to pitching:

Starters

C.J. Wilson- TEX: The switch to starter has been a success and while this guy is probably owned in nearly half or more leagues, it’s enough to mention. That and he was available in one of my leagues…well not anymore that is. He has been lights out ever since following Cliff Lee in the rotation. He is working on pitch count and few walks and it has led to 4 wins, 29Ks, and a near 2.10 and 1.10 ERA and WHIP respectively.
Vincente Padilla- LAD: This guy always seems to have strong 2nd halves. He is very likely available in your league and has provided a line of 3 Ws, 34 Ks, 1.30 ERA and .77 WHIP in his last 31 innings.
Jair Jurrjens- ATL: Great young arm that is living up lately to a great rookie campaign. Over the last month has delivered 2 Ws, 20Ks, 2.19ERA and 1.18 WHIP.
Vin Mazarro- OAK: Has put up numbers very similar to Jurrjens and worth a look at in deep leagues.

Closers

Alfedo Simon – BAL: Has provided stability to an very unstable situation at the start of the year. n a struggling team, but has 7 saves in the last month. However, keep an eye on Mike Gonzalez who could regain this job if his velocity returns.
Aaron Heilman/Juan Gutierrez - ARI: This is another complicated possible closer by committee. Neither is a great choice, although Gutierrez has been pretty decent lately. fact is the D’Backs do not win a lot of games. So only grab one of these guys if you are really desperate for saves.

Relievers

Sean Marshall- CHI: Marshall has been the Godzilla of relievers this years and will likely return a line at the end of the season that many starters will be jealous of. If his 2nd half is a good as his first his line would look something like 10-12 Ws, 120Ks, 1.80 ERA and1.00 WHIP. Pair him up with another quality reliever and you have a staff ace in the two.

Other mentionable relievers are Evan Meek, Luke Gregerson, Daniel Bardand Johnny Venters.

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