tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-362782650616815792024-02-19T16:11:33.186+00:00Fantasy Baseball FeverNews on Fantasy baseball ranging from single season to keeper and dynasty leagues. I plan to provide updated rankings and news all year long. True Fantasy Baseball fanatics have no offseason!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36278265061681579.post-88965424444718151492011-02-08T07:06:00.000+00:002011-02-08T07:06:59.432+00:00The Under-Whelming Rookie Class of 2011Well, after last year's historically strong rookie class, it only makes sense that this year's class would leave a lot to be desired. We will see a lot of people going crazy and over-paying in this year's drafts for guys like Dominic Brown, Jeremy Hellickson, Mike Moustakis, Dustin Ackley and others. While all of these players, as well as other rookies, will get an opportunity to contribute on a major league stage this year, I would not expect any of them to be major players on the fantasy scene. <br />
After last year, it is easy for fantasy owners to raise expectations for rookies. In the year of the pitcher, rookies shined through extremely bright as well. In 2010 we saw starring debuts by many young stars. Buster Posey, the NL ROY, almost single handedly carried the Giants offense. Jason Heyward showed flashes of brilliance, at age 20. Neftali Feliz, Jamie Garcia, Wade Davis and others shined all put together strong debuts on the mound. At times it looked as if Steven Strasburg was set to take his place as MLB's best pitcher, before a season ending Tommy John Surgery. Mike Stanton and Gabby Sanchez providing very strong debut seasons for the Marlins. I could really go on forever but I am sure you get the point by now. Last year was something special from a rookie standpoint.<br />
It is important to realize what rookies were typically known for before last year when evaluating this years rookie class. While we have occasionally seen stars step right in and pretty much dominate from day one, it is not common to see multiple rookies do this in the same season. While there are some rookies that could really provide quality numbers this year, I don't see any one guy stepping up and dominating. This year's class should provide a return to normalcy with young stars that show flashes but over-all just struggle with consistency. So, with that said, here are some rookies (in no particular order) that I think will be worth a watch this year. I have also provided my projections.<br />
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1-Jeremy Hellickson, SP, Rays 181 innings, 12 wins, 4.13 era, 1.24 whip, 170 k's<br />
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2-Freddie Freeman, 1b, Braves 546 abs, 283 avg, 17 hrs, 80 rbi, 5 sbs, 72 runs<br />
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3-Craig Kimbrel, RP, Braves 63 innings, 3 wins, 27 saves, 2.84 era, 1.14 whip, 71 k's<br />
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4-Jake McGee, RP, Rays 53 innings, 2 wins, 16 saves, 3.49 era, 1.26 whip, 51 k's<br />
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5-Aroldis Chapman, RP, Reds 62 innings, 4 wins, 14 saves, 2.63 era, 1.11 whip, 79 k's<br />
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6-Jesus Montero, C, Yankees 263 abs, 269 avg, 11 hrs, 41 rbi, 1 sb, 33 runs<br />
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7-J.P. Arencibia, C, Blue Jays 453 abs, 254 avg, 17 hrs, 58 rbi, 0 sbs, 47 runs<br />
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8-Mike Moustakis, 3b, Royals 292 abs, 271 avg, 14 hrs, 48 rbi, 3 sbs, 42 runs<br />
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9-Domonic Brown, OF, Phillies 416 abs, 261 avg, 17 hrs, 58 rbi, 14 sbs, 53 runs<br />
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10-Desmond Jennings, OF, Rays 337 abs, 273 avg, 5 hrs, 27 rbi, 21 sbs, 46 runs<br />
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11-Peter Borjous, OF, Angels 516 abs, 268 avg, 8 hrs, 48 rbi, 28 sbs, 71 runs<br />
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12-Kyle Drabek, SP, Blue Jays 178 innings, 11 wins, 4.36 era, 1.33 whip, 143 k's<br />
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13-Michael Pineda, SP, Mariners 104 innings, 6 wins, 4.11 era, 1.29 whip, 87 k's<br />
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14-Chris Sale, SP/RP, White Sox 142 innings, 12 wins, 3.64 era, 1.29 whip, 121 k's<br />
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15-Brandon Belt, 1b, Giants 261 abs, 284 avg, 11 hrs, 31 rbi, 2 sbs, 27 runs<br />
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It is important to note position battles to watch with some of these guys. The ones that seem to be locked into a major league job this year are Hellickson, Freeman, Kimbrel, Borjous, Drabek, Sale, Chapman and Arencipia. It is worth noting that I am expecting Kimbrel to close in Atlanta and I think that Chapman will take over that role in Cincy as well. Belt, Jennings, Moustakis and a few others could see more time in the majors with a strong showing in Spring Training.<br />
There are some good keepers in this group but it just seems like it will take them longer to develop than last year's class. Long term, Brown, Hellickson, Sale, Montero, Moustakis, Freeman and Belt could develop into real fantasy stars. Also, there is a reason that Dustin Ackley was left off this list, while he is a top prospect, I just don't see him contributing a whole lot fantasy wise.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36278265061681579.post-45199188636633353222011-02-02T06:04:00.001+00:002011-02-03T19:18:57.725+00:00Josh Johnson-Not fully Recovered?I just noticed <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/fantasy/baseball/flb/story?page=mlbdk2k11berry200">ESPN's latest fantasy baseball rankings </a>and, while not to much has changed since their last update, a major shocker to me was Josh Johnson. He has plummeted to number 76 amidst concerns about his recovery from a shoulder injury that cost him the last 3 weeks of his 2010 season. Many fantasy players, myself included, see Johnson as a potential Cy Young contender this year. I have searched around and failed to find anything more concrete about his current health. This is something to monitor closely in a couple of weeks when pitchers and catchers report for the opening of spring training.<br />
Johnson had Tommy John surgery in August of 2007 and made it back to the majors in July of 2008. While he has had no issues since, it is worth noting that many pitchers have been out much longer after Tommy John surgery. While Johnson, coming off his second consecutive all star season and his first career era crown, could be a great number one fantasy starter, I would not draft him as my top starter until we know more. For any of you with extremely early fantasy drafts, you would be very smart to move Johnson down your draft board. There are just too many pitchers with less to worry about at this time. Stay tuned....................<br />
As an update, <a href="http://www.mlb.com/">mlb.com</a> is reporting that Johnson is fully recovered and has already thrown a handful of bullpen sessions in Florida. However, I think fantasy owners may still want to monitor JJ closely. There is no doubt that this guy is as talented as any pitcher in baseball but he has to throw 200 innings in a season before I can put him in the category of elite. You can check out more from <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110203&content_id=16561948&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb">mlb.com here.</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36278265061681579.post-53460777653870574552011-02-01T08:30:00.004+00:002011-02-01T08:44:08.320+00:00Keeper Strategy<b>What is a keeper league?</b><br />
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The most common form of fantasy baseball is the yearly re-draft league. In these leagues, you will draft a completely new team every year and compete with your roster for that season in only. In keeper leagues, you keep some players from one season to the next. There are also dynasty leagues, which I define as any league in which you keep half, or more of your roster. Some dynasty leagues even keep the entire roster from one year to the next.<br />
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Dynasty and, to a lesser extent, keeper leagues take more dedicated managers and require those managers to sometimes think outside of the box. In leagues in which you keep 5 players or less, most owners will have a chance to compete every year. The more players owners are allowed to keep from year to year will directly impact the number of owners that have a shot at competing for a title in an individual season. However, just because you can't win this year doesn't mean that you can't make great strides to become more competitive in the near future.<br />
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<b>Keeper League Strategies</b><br />
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<b>1-Honestly assess your team</b>- If you are in a league that just keeps a few players, don't take to many chances. Focus on keeping the most reliable players you can and in most cases leave the potential super-stars for others to drool over.<br />
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In leagues where you are required to keep more than a third of your roster, you need to know where you stand in relation to the rest of your league. If you lack a <a href="http://fantasybaseballfever.blogspot.com/2010/12/franchise-bats.html">Franchise Bat</a> or a <a href="http://fantasybaseballfever.blogspot.com/2010/12/franchise-arms.html">Franchise Arm</a> you are more than likely not ready to compete that season. If you view your team as a true contender, identify needs and draft reliability over potential. If you do not view your team as a contender, focus on young players with upside and consider dealing for youth.<br />
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<b>2- Seek Age Balance</b>- In keeper and dynasty formats young stars are extremely valuable. However, the most successful owners will have a balance between youth, veterans and players in their prime. While 2010 offered a rich rookie class, most seasons rookies will be very streaky and should not be relied upon for key roles on your team.<br />
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If you are playing to win this year, you will rarely want to count on a rookie at a key position without a solid veteran backup. While a guy like Dominic Brown will be very popular this season, his owners would be wise to carry a 4th outfielder that they are comfortable playing on a regular basis. Brown brings a lot of excitement and upside but a player like Nick Swisher or Carlos Lee offer far more reliability. At scarce positions, such as shortstop, second and third base, it can make more sense to gamble on a young star.<br />
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If you are working towards being more competitive in the future, take a few chances and be patient. In season, you can also identify young players who are hurting more competitive teams and go after them. Don't be afraid to over-pay for a young star, in season, if you feel that you can replenish it in the next season's draft.<br />
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<b>3-Build around Scarce Positions</b>- For 2011, there are several positions that will provide holes in a team's lineup. Shortstop, Thirdbase, Secondbase and Catcher all lack reliable and proven options. It is also important to assess the future of positions. Understand what positions stand to gain or lose strength in coming seasons. For example, third base and catcher are thin right now but they have descent futures with young stars and solid prospects. Second base has a descent future but it has never been a position of strength and likely won't change too much in the near future. Shortstop is a position that I see as a continuing problem in fantasy leagues. Since the end of the steroid era, shortstop has gotten slimmer almost every year. While there are some promising prospects coming along, most of them are better with their glove than their bats. That is not something that will help fantasy owners.<br />
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<b>4-Muti position eligibility</b>- While a player like Martin Prado lacks the kind of power most fantasy owners would want from a third basemen, his owners have the luxury of plugging him in at other positions as needed. This is a value in all fantasy formats. However, in keeper formats, it is important to understand what eligibility the player will have going forward. While Prado is pretty valuable in 2011, if he plays the entire season in left field, his value will most likely go down heading into next year.<br />
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<b>5-Build around your bats</b>-This kind of goes back to my discussion of position scarcity. Simply put, there are more quality arms in baseball than reliable bats. Even more importantly, bats tend to be far more reliable from year to year.<br />
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<b>6- Keep Power over Speed</b>- Reliable power bats are more valuable than base steelers in keeper formats. In almost all formats, I see guys like Rajai Davis and Michael Bourn borderline keepers at best and these are two of the top base steelers in the game the past two seasons. However, a guy like Andre Ethier or Mike Stanton are definite keepers in almost all formats. The reason for this is simple, stolen bases are a lot easier to find in a draft than homeruns.<br />
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<b>7-Over-value Multi-Category Contributers</b>- Simply put, the more players you have who contribute in 4 or 5 categories, the less you have to over-pay to fill the other categories.<br />
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<b>8-Keep Value, not the Best Players</b>- In leagues where you keep few players, focus on scarce positions as far as your keepers are concerned. Be willing to let go of higher ranked players at deep positions over lower ranked players at shallow positions. Obviously, I am not suggesting you keep Gordon Beckham over Justin Morneau but I would suggest keeping Jose Reyes over a guy like Mark Teixera in leagues where you only keep a handful of players. The odds of replacing Tex are simply much higher than they are for replacing Reyes.<br />
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<b>9-Give Yourself a Clear Time Table</b>- In keeper and dynasty formats, it is easy to get discouraged if you can't win that season. However, if you can set a time line of a year or two to become more competitive, it can keep you more involved. The best keeper formats need all owners to remain active, whether they can win or not. Whether you play roto or H2H, your activity level impacts the standings.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36278265061681579.post-69256915213431217632011-01-26T06:50:00.001+00:002011-01-26T07:11:56.791+00:00mlb.com's top 50 Prospect Countdown ShowFor those of you who haven't seen it yet, <a href="http://mlb.com/">mlb.com</a> and MLB network unveiled their top 50 prospect countdown for the 2011 season. If you missed it, you can view it <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110124&content_id=16493480&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb">here</a>. From a fantasy perspective the biggest thing that I got out of the countdown is just how special last year's rookie class was. While some guys do come with a good deal of hype for this season (Hellickson, Moustakis, Brown, Ackley, Freeman and Belt), I just don't see anybody having the major impact that many rookies did last year. The 2010 rookie class was the best I have seen in 20 years of following baseball.<br />
The 2011 class is more in line with what we are used to seeing. There are some very exciting players, from a fantasy stand point, but they all come with some major questions. While I am not ready to go over my rookie rankings yet, I think I have settled on the top of my class. In no particular order, guys that I see topping my rankings will be Hellickson, Brown and Freeman. Dustin Ackley and Kyle Drabek are two that I am starting to like less than many fantasy owners. Both Ackley and Drabek should have long successful careers but I don't see either ever having a significant fantasy impact. Ackley seems to profile as a 15 hr (or less in Seattle) 280 average major league hitter. Drabek looks like a 3rd starter in a good major league rotation, at best.<br />
Well, that was my immediate reaction. What is your opinion?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36278265061681579.post-2315921378369893902011-01-26T01:03:00.000+00:002011-01-26T01:03:58.177+00:00Prospect PreviewWhile I like to think that I follow prospects pretty closely and know who the "big guys" are, I can't really call myself a prospect expert by any means. Since I don't have the resources to watch prospects on a regular basis, research is the only way that I have to evaluate prospects. There are many sources online that cover prospects but many are very unreliable.<br />
For those owners that compete in leagues with minor leagues, don't sleep on prospects because the hype machine in fantasy baseball is making them increasingly more valuable. Look at how popular guys like Strasburg and Heyward were in last year's drafts. With the return on investment that these young stars provided, imagine what the hype machine will be for a guy like Bryce Harper. In fact, I own the rights to Harper in my dynasty league and I have already turned away some pretty ridiculous offers. As much as I could get for him now, I think it will be twice as much when he gets close his big league debut.<br />
I will go over some 2011 rookie rankings here in a couple of weeks. In the mean time, I will provide some sites that I reference for prospect analysis.<br />
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<a href="http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/">Baseball America</a>-is probably my favorite. They typically release their top 100 prospect rankings around late February and are typically one of the most accurate.<br />
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<a href="http://mlb.com/">mlb.com</a> also has descent rankings up by position.<br />
<a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110114&content_id=16441722&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb">Catchers</a><br />
<a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110117&content_id=16448384&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb">Firstbase</a><br />
<a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110118&content_id=16457012&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb">Secondbase</a><br />
<a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110118&content_id=16458636&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb">Shortstop</a><br />
<a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110117&content_id=16448410&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb">Thirdbase</a><br />
<a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110119&content_id=16467568&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb">Outfield</a><br />
<a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110120&content_id=16473086&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb">RHP</a><br />
<a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110121&content_id=16474766&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb">LHP</a><br />
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<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=widgetsamazon-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1932391347&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><br />
<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=widgetsamazon-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0470622067&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36278265061681579.post-74894160307244067572011-01-25T08:33:00.000+00:002011-01-25T08:33:30.850+00:00Starting Pitcher Rankings with Projections<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://bullpentalkblog.com/2010/08/15/who-will-win-nl-cy-young-award/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEA8tboqPPNYlp_GWjyBMn4NPn4a7QlpgcY09EYXhqnz4XVO5YJB4TlJNrZTBOS3JogJRcbq78eTPHemG7zVgkPuvNd8uEvgvQXZ3vkhQvAOBtkH2Uto2ZIj6fYf7T1yRu9MReHXP2QA/s400/arms.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>When drafting, fantasy owners will often either go with an ace early in the draft or load up later in the draft. Both strategies can work but, if you wait it is even more essential to make the correct selections. There is real value in drafting one of the top dogs in the first few rounds and then waiting several rounds to fill out your rotation. This is the strategy that I usually go with. The depth and general lack of consistency in pitchers makes the few reliable arms even more valuable. With that said, check out my rankings and projections <a href="http://www.bukisa.com/articles/443249_2011-fantasy-baseball-starting-pitcher-rankings-with-projections">here</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36278265061681579.post-57473348828091230422011-01-24T09:23:00.005+00:002011-01-24T09:47:07.090+00:00Off the Subject, This is Hilarious Though<object height="450" width="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/POyFvDgV2cU&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/POyFvDgV2cU&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="450" height="400"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36278265061681579.post-56028013391375541762011-01-24T09:17:00.000+00:002011-01-24T09:17:01.017+00:00Outfield Rankings with Projections<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv1P0q9i3dMop26ztYxY2Fd2JIFgsJlYxWa-ThrClCYnw6zFN7UmBo0ZHIWWxWlZyOPMYu35jUJtkhnzjujHia0eISduSbdMOF2lXNBjEfjnEYdJeH9jtAfhq0rrAJZkjtikrxrB1-rg/s1600/Josh-Hamilton-holds-his-MVP-trophy-after-the.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv1P0q9i3dMop26ztYxY2Fd2JIFgsJlYxWa-ThrClCYnw6zFN7UmBo0ZHIWWxWlZyOPMYu35jUJtkhnzjujHia0eISduSbdMOF2lXNBjEfjnEYdJeH9jtAfhq0rrAJZkjtikrxrB1-rg/s320/Josh-Hamilton-holds-his-MVP-trophy-after-the.jpg" width="218" /></a></div>The fantasy outfield is as loaded now as it has been in years. Fantasy owners should have no trouble finding at least a couple of hitters that can give them positive production across the board. This position provides a good blend of reliability, break out candidates, sleepers and bounce back stars. There is also an excess of young stars that have yet to hit their prime, providing a very strong future for the depth of this position. For those in keeper formats, there are also many very exciting prospects that are really getting close to the big league level. To say the least, the future of the fantasy baseball outfield is very bright. So, check out my projections and rankings <a href="http://www.bukisa.com/articles/441813_2011-fantasy-baseball-outfield-rankings-with-projections">here</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36278265061681579.post-23749281349492040222011-01-21T22:28:00.001+00:002011-01-21T22:37:59.534+00:00Shortstop Rankings with Projections<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAoQbuJFyJvVQcmWp6oMC6pNcaXRop7qlQsGreuUb-D5nD_8xy__2ekDicgKyfW0dRAyFQIE4tmPiG5LYQDsrKEBrUy7adeeQL5dmRpKzeNwvsbjcpscCttglRN61EgYlSBY-Q8JSG9Q/s1600/tulo.bin" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAoQbuJFyJvVQcmWp6oMC6pNcaXRop7qlQsGreuUb-D5nD_8xy__2ekDicgKyfW0dRAyFQIE4tmPiG5LYQDsrKEBrUy7adeeQL5dmRpKzeNwvsbjcpscCttglRN61EgYlSBY-Q8JSG9Q/s320/tulo.bin" width="320" /></a></div>Entering your 2011 draft, one thing that had better be at the front of your mind is position scarcity. When I was actually trying to project the short stop position for the upcoming season it hit me that this position could decide leagues. There are stars that are developing, such as Elvis Andrus, Ian Desmond and Starlin Castro. However, there are even more former stars that are clearly past their prime and on a clear decline (Miguel Tejada, Derrek Jeter, Jimmy Rollins, and Rafael Furcal). I think that there is a good chance that more fantasy owners will have confidence in their catcher this year than their shortstop. That is simply unheard of in fantasy sports.<br />
For those in keeper leagues, the immediate future is not that much brighter either. There are not many stud prospects coming up at shortstop in the near future. Plus, I think that it will still be a few years before we start to see the best of Andrus and Castro. The value, in keeper formats, for Troy Tulowitzki, Hanley Ramirez and Jose Reyes is very high right now because there is no telling when the next wave of stud shortstops will be here.<br />
For my complete rankings and projections, <a href="http://www.bukisa.com/articles/441740_2011-fantasy-baseball-shortstop-rankings-with-projections">click here</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36278265061681579.post-21293896925392491912011-01-21T07:57:00.000+00:002011-01-21T07:57:58.322+00:00Third Base Rankings with Projections<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEokS00JpTy9zuTY-3whIl1vdyVol6CcqXH2DFRMzU60ZU1g1mJJlntzLqh7wCWXcoqunkrpt7wuf6y44wRYKKPO6rrHKIhBM8LabExTxY5HOfoEiCFuL7_whfkK0gn-UWwhLCk0OHfQ/s1600/zimm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEokS00JpTy9zuTY-3whIl1vdyVol6CcqXH2DFRMzU60ZU1g1mJJlntzLqh7wCWXcoqunkrpt7wuf6y44wRYKKPO6rrHKIhBM8LabExTxY5HOfoEiCFuL7_whfkK0gn-UWwhLCk0OHfQ/s320/zimm.jpg" width="245" /></a></div>This seems to be a transition year for the hot corner position in fantasy baseball. With aging stars like Rolen, Arod, Aramis Ramirez and Chipper and young stars like Evan Longoria, Ryan Zimmerman, Pedro Alvarez along with a hot prospect like Mike Moustakis 2011 looks like the year of turn over. It is a top heavy position with a lot of questions after the top guys go off the board. Along with short stop, I consider third as the most unreliable position in fantasy baseball this season. In fact, I would go so far as to say that any owner that doesn't have either of these positions filled by the end of the second round is a long shot to win their league. Check out my full third base projections <a href="http://www.bukisa.com/articles/441271_2011-fantasy-baseball-third-base-rankings-with-projections">here</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36278265061681579.post-84343766930021015482011-01-20T20:57:00.000+00:002011-01-20T20:57:11.562+00:00Second Base Rankings and Projections<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhumSqRIG61ja08XBeg3n5R-ov0BttzWTyJaaHihhrWdBBvxBuo4sozWHh3rAMw5yRNL5U02hgwW0fKJ9IVc0wl-jDZDNgZ-NBeOpRChlX1T8yLE2uvP8ObieZytN6CCSzIFU9qCGbqKA/s1600/pedy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhumSqRIG61ja08XBeg3n5R-ov0BttzWTyJaaHihhrWdBBvxBuo4sozWHh3rAMw5yRNL5U02hgwW0fKJ9IVc0wl-jDZDNgZ-NBeOpRChlX1T8yLE2uvP8ObieZytN6CCSzIFU9qCGbqKA/s320/pedy.jpg" width="264" /></a></div>Second base is a position that is very top heavy but deeper than most fantasy players seem to think. After Robinson Cano's breakout year and the injuries that held down Dustin Pedroia, Chase Utley and (once again) Ian Kinsler, there is now a debate as to whether or not Utley is still the class of his position. While you could go back and forth on this, I think it is safe to say that Cano has joined Utley's level. Pedroia and Kinsler both have the ability to breakout and join the top tier of second basemen as well. While Kinsler comes with injury baggage, Pedroia has a very reckless style that could scare off some fantasy owners. All four these guys would be great to have at second base in 2011, but, I think something happens after they are all off the draft board. The drop off after these guys is significant. It appears that many fantasy owners are willing to overpay for 2010 numbers that I don't expect to see repeated in 2011. To view my complete second base projections, <a href="http://www.bukisa.com/articles/441126_2011-fantasy-baseball-second-base-rankings-with-projections">click here</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36278265061681579.post-62385630858586464542011-01-18T23:53:00.001+00:002011-01-20T20:41:01.457+00:00First Base Rankings and Projections<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipjUpdS6TyHmLC5qvTZLJY_Ijuu1DxWPWt3CrKCfSbvoUczcZ4ixk0da50flTlvSGvlQX4zYo4IE2JjaIav5N8iXJiXpMAq2jnTfq1S2Z8qXtqVGbZau9HqOzBcgmO6VObJvDFKAi3fw/s1600/miggy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipjUpdS6TyHmLC5qvTZLJY_Ijuu1DxWPWt3CrKCfSbvoUczcZ4ixk0da50flTlvSGvlQX4zYo4IE2JjaIav5N8iXJiXpMAq2jnTfq1S2Z8qXtqVGbZau9HqOzBcgmO6VObJvDFKAi3fw/s320/miggy.jpg" width="261" /></a></div>First base is an easy position to fill in fantasy baseball because it is the deepest position in the game. However, don't sleep on getting the right guy to fill first in your lineup. While first base is really deep, it gets shallow pretty quickly. In most drafts, you will see anywhere from 10-12 firstbaseman taken in the first 50-60 picks. This year, you are also looking at 4 going in the first round of most twelve team drafts. This position provides a major portion of most lineup's power and quite a few firstbasemen also provide reliable averages as well. In fact, the only major category you won't fill with first base is steals, although a handful of players will provide double figure steals. So, who are you rolling with at first base this year? <a href="http://www.bukisa.com/articles/439697_2011-fantasy-baseball-firstbase-rankings-with-projections">Check out my rankings and projections here.</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36278265061681579.post-15397966281810247342011-01-17T23:28:00.000+00:002011-01-17T23:28:00.812+00:00Catcher Rankings and Projections<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL3iRVuBTAGLX5Yxn5nN5i9HlbY7QGDsz-tCCdKvq9yPorw-aNpPpo2wyBrJDDCRLNXhdW6cF5HU2JleFnGxFgzSiujOeGj4uiHyhaSEZ1m_CJbSicGSTvHttd71LnnuCzM4NRAI96yA/s1600/buster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL3iRVuBTAGLX5Yxn5nN5i9HlbY7QGDsz-tCCdKvq9yPorw-aNpPpo2wyBrJDDCRLNXhdW6cF5HU2JleFnGxFgzSiujOeGj4uiHyhaSEZ1m_CJbSicGSTvHttd71LnnuCzM4NRAI96yA/s400/buster.jpg" width="276" /></a></div>The catching position has always been a weakness in fantasy baseball and 2010 was a good example of that, when there was not a single catcher in the season's top 100 rankings. However, 2010 did see some new blood that brought a little more depth to this thin position. Buster Posey (pictured here) won the N.L. Rookie of the Year and before getting hurt, Carlos Santana also had a solid debut over in the American League. Both these young blue chip prospects showed that they were ready for the show in a big way. While the catching position is still not deep, it could be argued that it is deeper than it has been in a very long time. Matt Weiters, still only 24 years old, has been a bust so far but he has gotten better. For my rankings and projections, <a href="http://www.bukisa.com/articles/439449_2011-fantasy-baseball-catcher-rankings-with-projections">click here.</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36278265061681579.post-15917543800615505622011-01-17T10:37:00.000+00:002011-01-17T10:37:10.250+00:00Troy Tulowitzki-2011 Fantasy Preview<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcdw_LqYlGd3zytBvCmSUfo-xdKXoUD8J52jK2GzdXg-GxiHWcSoyOFAvKz7m4OvOwsEWacF72uijP5LXrwVaHCv0pyCDZS-uoZuxkyMPeCCR8DD_kH4f0PXl3vggG7027Z7tY5TP6ZQ/s1600/Troy-Tulowitzki.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcdw_LqYlGd3zytBvCmSUfo-xdKXoUD8J52jK2GzdXg-GxiHWcSoyOFAvKz7m4OvOwsEWacF72uijP5LXrwVaHCv0pyCDZS-uoZuxkyMPeCCR8DD_kH4f0PXl3vggG7027Z7tY5TP6ZQ/s320/Troy-Tulowitzki.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Troy Tulowitzki is a very hot commodity heading into the 2011 season. The show that he put on last September was nothing short of amazing and fantasy owners are salivating over the numbers that he could put up over the coarse of a full healthy season. However, over the coarse of his career, Tulo has really struggled to stay healthy. In four full seasons at the Major League level he has only exceeded 150 games played twice. There is certainly a major risk reward with this near unanimous first rounder. The risk is, you only get around 350 abs from your number one pick and, with no depth at shortstop, you have no way of replacing him. The reward is also pretty clear, if you get 600 abs from Tulowitki, you have a good chance of having the best player in baseball. While he will likely never put up numbers like he did last September again, he is just entering his prime and still has room to grow into an even better all around player. <br />
<a href="http://www.bukisa.com/articles/439100_troy-tulowitzki-2011-fantasy-baseball-projection">Click here for my projections</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36278265061681579.post-30509846175467728992011-01-15T07:22:00.000+00:002011-01-15T07:22:45.514+00:00Adrian Gonzalez-2011 Fantasy PreviewFor Adrian Gonzalez owners, in keeper formats, the trade to Boston was a dream come true. For the past several year, Gonzalez has been one of Major League Baseball's most prolific home run threats, in one of the hardest parks to homer in. Now, the guy who has hit 107 home runs over the last three seasons, with only 35 of those coming at home, takes his act to hitter friendly Fenway Park. Add on to that the fact that, at age 28, he is in the prime of his career and there is plenty of reason to anticipate a career season from Gonzalez. If you are in a keeper league, this is just not the time to target a trade for Gonzalez. If you play in a one year league, and want a part of Gonzalez, you should target him in the second half of the first round. Simply put, the cat is out of the bag. We all know expect Adrian to excel in Boston.<a href="http://www.bukisa.com/articles/438188_adrian-gonzalez-2011-fantasy-preview"> Check out my full projections here</a>.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bukisa.com/articles/438188_adrian-gonzalez-2011-fantasy-preview"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiueTmVm1WhbowNUhoDA93A9G-jVrjxPiqLE2kRxAR9PmMlXgqECTK3-jupdRw3wq4fwt3FgQCnHVdZD5U7V7AXFBU1qDZmCDi-KRnXnjEFz0Ks1f6oY8auNzmZKb30LB1GQxtIGQEnhg/s1600/adrian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiueTmVm1WhbowNUhoDA93A9G-jVrjxPiqLE2kRxAR9PmMlXgqECTK3-jupdRw3wq4fwt3FgQCnHVdZD5U7V7AXFBU1qDZmCDi-KRnXnjEFz0Ks1f6oY8auNzmZKb30LB1GQxtIGQEnhg/s320/adrian.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36278265061681579.post-9569442031376861372011-01-15T03:35:00.001+00:002011-01-15T07:23:13.238+00:00Top 25-Age 25 and UnderAlright, I will admit that I stole this idea from the yahoo message boards. It is a great topic though. Baseball is chalk full of young stars and if you look at the guys that are not even in their prime yet, you see a very bright future for the game. In order to eligible for this list, a player must be at or under 25 years of age as of opening day in 2011. So, who makes my <a href="http://www.bukisa.com/articles/438122_top-25-age-25-and-under">Top 25-Age 25 and Under?</a> When looking at the list, realize that it is not a straight ranking list. Since it is fantasy baseball, I decided that I would base it off of value more than talent. If you are in a keeper or dynasty league, these are the guys you want to get and build a championship around. <a href="http://www.bukisa.com/articles/438122_top-25-age-25-and-under">Check out the entire list here.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivAWXzp2zd5RJzkoqdQpyAWiWsFU6Mh5TOBepIAK3MVKUyVYzNQipl4nEuzQZPKQgRXIRI5D1GQq1apDescN6rjlKxGHREMnVIFQlya9jljdSXW3Bf51ESrfFYQAA_f8A4aFdxsu-NqQ/s1600/Harper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="307" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivAWXzp2zd5RJzkoqdQpyAWiWsFU6Mh5TOBepIAK3MVKUyVYzNQipl4nEuzQZPKQgRXIRI5D1GQq1apDescN6rjlKxGHREMnVIFQlya9jljdSXW3Bf51ESrfFYQAA_f8A4aFdxsu-NqQ/s320/Harper.jpg" /></a></div><br />
</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36278265061681579.post-31384878912352290492011-01-13T05:37:00.000+00:002011-01-13T05:37:29.981+00:00Robinson Cano-2011 Fantasy PreviewComing off of the best year of his career, Cano enters 2011 as my top rated second basemen and one of the best keepers in baseball. After only missing 6 games in the past 4 seasons, he also provides the kind of reliability that is very hard to find in fantasy baseball. With the Yankee lineup aging and many of their stars on the decline, will this impact Cano's ability to follow up on the best year of his career? <a href="http://www.bukisa.com/articles/436741_robinson-cano-2011-fantasy-preview">Click here for a complete projection</a>. If you have any thoughts on Cano, let's hear your projections. Also, check back ofton, in the next couple of weeks I plan to preview the rest of the stars on my <a href="http://fantasybaseballfever.blogspot.com/2010/12/keeper-big-board.html">Keeper Big Board</a>.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bukisa.com/articles/436741_robinson-cano-2011-fantasy-preview"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjsdDQSJwHlt39Gf93aNTPvqIPiPspp4HTwDeg59n0j3ZESzm-YVdr_FJTSGrti9ffjJjbQI-F1XKv6XyMjs27Xuj_sjkxqlGWM4vZ6besgxvxurgvibQMK22eKSl2cWGc3rPS9JZkpw/s1600/robby+cano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjsdDQSJwHlt39Gf93aNTPvqIPiPspp4HTwDeg59n0j3ZESzm-YVdr_FJTSGrti9ffjJjbQI-F1XKv6XyMjs27Xuj_sjkxqlGWM4vZ6besgxvxurgvibQMK22eKSl2cWGc3rPS9JZkpw/s320/robby+cano.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36278265061681579.post-1764529738571088462011-01-11T06:56:00.001+00:002011-01-11T07:06:19.968+00:00Evan Longoria -2011 Fantasy PreviewEvan Longoria is another hitter who saw a decrease in his production during the year of the pitcher. However, despite only posting 22 hrs, he still had a very solid fantasy line. Longo also started running more and set a career high in steals. He also increased his contact rate and batting average for the third straight season. So, what do I expect from Longo this year?<br />
<a href="http://www.bukisa.com/articles/434939_evan-longoria-2011-fantasy-preview">Check it out here<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaTPXBmBahi0p3_Wt5XspEVfw2kAw6AXjUQ0jPsm58QwgZXChBkbcyM6_FT1bwR6DXlSmirh2I5r2caRpQBJhs31AQUTc5W6_sQnhNKs4r4OZ9EDYFCewzr-3ExfyzoZmj1ocecAKUjw/s1600/longo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="188" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaTPXBmBahi0p3_Wt5XspEVfw2kAw6AXjUQ0jPsm58QwgZXChBkbcyM6_FT1bwR6DXlSmirh2I5r2caRpQBJhs31AQUTc5W6_sQnhNKs4r4OZ9EDYFCewzr-3ExfyzoZmj1ocecAKUjw/s320/longo.jpg" /></a></div><br />
</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36278265061681579.post-86253961965315093112011-01-11T04:02:00.001+00:002011-01-11T05:43:37.037+00:00Ryan Braun-2011 Fantasy Preview<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6SDBDozzeOSf0idZCpHFrC8-EkcS0cIZAISbyl-z4zBVCNpfjlAvnkl7yDAHtOH7TKWR64tmQKqtpnPydYdalIyzMkxXuNk1M8zuPYg8ZOh-qHqNYurUmIYguHmmN4eQrui0TyEBmDQ/s1600/Braun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6SDBDozzeOSf0idZCpHFrC8-EkcS0cIZAISbyl-z4zBVCNpfjlAvnkl7yDAHtOH7TKWR64tmQKqtpnPydYdalIyzMkxXuNk1M8zuPYg8ZOh-qHqNYurUmIYguHmmN4eQrui0TyEBmDQ/s320/Braun.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Entering last year, Ryan Braun looked to be on the verge of becoming a challenger to <a href="http://www.bukisa.com/articles/414862_albert-pujols-fantasy-profile-2011">Albert Pujols</a> status as the best hitter in fantasy baseball. After three superb seasons, to start his career, he was almost a unanimous top 5 pick in drafts. However, Braun hit a bump in the road in 2010. Struggling with consistency all year, he went through some long slumps and finished with the most disappointing line of his young career. However, he enters the 2011 season at the magical fantasy age of 27. So, what should fantasy baseball owners expect from this elite talent?<br />
<a href="http://www.bukisa.com/articles/434836_ryan-braun-2011-fantasy-preview">Click here for my full break down</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36278265061681579.post-43048367785101275832011-01-09T23:39:00.000+00:002011-01-09T23:39:27.448+00:00All Reboud TeamEvery year there are players that simply kill fantasy owners. They either seem poised for a breakout or they have a great track record of success. Then, just when you jump on board, they fall off the map or get hurt and kill your season. It happens to us all and it usually causes owners to rip their hair out and scream, "I will be damned if I ever draft that guy again!" I caution against this thought process though. Every year owners get burned by that and 2010 was a great example with Josh Hamilton leading the way. So, the fact is, you can either have the player burn you again by jumping off the bandwagon or you can stick with them usually at a discount. So, which players made my all rebound team? <a href="http://www.bukisa.com/articles/433849_fantasy-baseball-2011-all-rebound-team">Check it out.</a> Then let me know who I left off.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36278265061681579.post-41903135945239198892011-01-08T22:08:00.000+00:002011-01-08T22:08:35.139+00:00Hanley Ramirez-2011 Season PreviewA near unanimous 2nd pick in last year's fantasy drafts, <a href="http://www.bukisa.com/articles/433154_fantasy-preview-2011-hanley-ramirez-27">Hanley Ramirez<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimv9pQG9dUqYChXvJTuO5Abk0E4l7LlTDIWNwokFZgfB_Hl-t-AFjS7qoUNpZvtSoXIzO0DwxudZWELr-S4-O7zTQgm1pzjYYemGlsJJesfkYmRv3otveCnXKqSxadGgdiYZ_j1gLCRA/s1600/Hanley+Ramirez.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="274" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimv9pQG9dUqYChXvJTuO5Abk0E4l7LlTDIWNwokFZgfB_Hl-t-AFjS7qoUNpZvtSoXIzO0DwxudZWELr-S4-O7zTQgm1pzjYYemGlsJJesfkYmRv3otveCnXKqSxadGgdiYZ_j1gLCRA/s320/Hanley+Ramirez.jpg" /></a></div><br />
</a> disappointed his fantasy owners a bit last year. While he struggled at times and battled a few injuries his final line really was nothing to complain about. However, when you draft a guy at number 2 and he struggles to finish in the top 30 that can hurt your chances. While 2010 saw <a href="http://www.bukisa.com/articles/417463_miguel-cabrera-fantasy-preview-2011">Miguel Cabrera</a> pass him for the second spot in my overall rankings and also saw Troy Tulowitzki push him atop his position rankings, I certainly don't believe that fantasy baseball owners should drop Hanley too far after one slightly down season.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.bukisa.com/articles/433154_fantasy-preview-2011-hanley-ramirez-27">Full preview with 2011 projections</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36278265061681579.post-38034486524595681162010-12-31T23:44:00.000+00:002010-12-31T23:44:55.565+00:00Keeper Big BoardI plan to make this a feature of my site. My Keeper Big Board will be updated year round on a regular basis. I plan to update it around once a month during the offseason and every couple of weeks in season. Rankings are based on standard 5x5 scoring formats. They will also be weighted based upon future seasons as well. The emphasis will be on the current season at 50%, with 2012 at 30% and 2013%. Player age is also provided in parenthesis.<br />
<br />
1-<b>Albert Pujols (31)</b> 1b, Cardinals-The best player in the game period.<br />
2-<b>Miguel Cabrera (27)</b> 1b, Tigers-Miggy has long been overshadowed by Pujols, that may not last much longer.<br />
3-<b>Hanley Ramirez (27) </b>SS, Marlins-After a slightly down year, Hanley may feel he has something to prove in 2011.<br />
4-<b>Ryan Braun (27)</b> OF, Brewers-If you are one of those owners down on Braun this year, you will be sorry by the end of 2011.<br />
5-<b>Robinson Cano (28) </b>2b, Yankees-The best player at a shallow position. Cano is now in his prime and there is no reason to expect much of a drop off from his spectacular 2010 line.<br />
6-<b>Evan Longoria (25) </b>3b, Rays-Longo is the youngest player in the top 10 and that means the upside is scary. At 25, it is reasonable to believe that he could still get a lot better. Future number one?<br />
7-<b>Adrian Gonzalez (28) </b>1b, Red Sox-Talk about a good trade, Gonzo was ranked 23rd on my last list. His skill set in Fenway is just frightening!<br />
8-<b>Troy Tulowitzki (26)</b> SS, Rockies-The contract extension that Tulo signed means that he will play most of his career at Coors Field, that is awesome news for his keeper owners.<br />
9-<b>David Wright (28) </b>3b, Mets-Wright entered the prime of his career very well last year. He is one of the most reliable fantasy players in the game.<br />
10-<b>Joey Votto (27) </b>1b, Reds-The defending NL MVP should have little trouble picking up right where he left off.<br />
11-<b>Carl Crawford (29) </b>OF, Red Sox-Crawford should have no trouble putting up great numbers in Fenway.<br />
12-<b>Felix Hernandez (24) </b>SP, Mariners-King Felix is still only 24? No doubt that he is the top pitcher in a keeper format.<br />
13-<b>Carlos Gonzalez (25) </b>OF, Rockies-CarGo broke out in a big way last year. Even if you encounter growing pains this year, he still has one of the best tool sets in the game.<br />
14-<b>Josh Hamilton (29) </b>OF, Rangers-Hamilton is as good of a hitter as anybody in the game. Injuries are the only thing that keep him outside of the top 5 on this list.<br />
15-<b>Roy Halladay (33)</b> SP, Phillies-You gotta be pretty special to rank this high on a keeper list at age 33, Doc is more than special. He is still the best pitcher in the game and we have seen no signs of decline.<br />
16-<b>Tim Lincecum (26) </b>SP, Giants-The Freak looked human for a large part of last year, then late in the season, we saw the return of "Super Freak!"<br />
17-<b>Justin Upton (23)</b> OF, Diamondbacks-The skill set is certainly there for Upton. The question is, when will the results show up? At just 23, I think owners need to be patient.<br />
18-<b>Mark Teixeira (30) </b>1b, Yankees-If you can handle the slow starts, Tex always puts up great lines eventually. How scary would it be if he finished April hitting 315 with 6 bombs?<br />
19-<b>Chase Utley (32)</b> 2b, Phillies-Utley had a very rough year with injuries in 2010. If he can stay healthy, he still could push Cano as the best second basemen in baseball.<br />
20-<b>Adam Wainwright (29)</b> SP, Cardinals-Waino often seems to be overlooked in fantasy baseball. His consistency, until late last year, is amazing.<br />
21-<b>Joe Mauer (27)</b> C, Twins-Let's just accept that Mauer isn't a serious 30 homer threat and enjoy the things he does do well. A catcher that can win batting crowns is very valuable.<br />
22-<b>Jon Lester (27)</b> SP, Red Sox-Lester may be one of the biggest winners when you talk about the Red Sox offseason moves.<br />
23-<b>Matt Kemp (26) </b>OF, Dodgers-Which Kemp will show up in 2011?<br />
24-<b>Josh Johnson (27)</b> SP, Marlins-Johnson has the potential to grow into a true fantasy ace.<br />
25-<b>Ryan Zimmerman (26) </b>3b, Nationals-Zimmerman is a solid fantasy producer that looks like a young Chipper Jones.<br />
26-<b>Justin Verlander (28) </b>SP, Tigers-While Verlander is not a true fantasy ace, he is as good of a number 2 as you can find.<br />
27-<b>Matt Holliday (31) </b>OF, Cardinals-Aside from Crawford, Holliday is the most consistent outfielder in fantasy baseball.<br />
28-<b>Dustin Pedroia (27) </b>2b, Red Sox-Pedroia could profit greatly from the new arrivals in Bean Town.<br />
29-<b>Clayton Kershaw (23) </b>SP, Dodgers-Kershaw has all the makings of a future fantasy ace. It is just a matter of time before he breaks through his ceiling.<br />
30-<b>Prince Fielder (26) </b>1b, Brewers-Heading into free agency and his prime, Prince could on the brink of a huge season.<br />
31-<b>Alex Rodriguez (35) </b>3b, Yankees-Arod's best years are behind him and it is no longer realistic to expect him to play more than 150 games. When he is healthy, he can still produce at a very high level.<br />
32-<b>Ubaldo Jiminez (27) </b>SP, Rockies-Don't be fooled by the second half last year, Jiminez is still a very solid pitcher just hitting his prime.<br />
33-<b>Ryan Howard (31) </b>1b, Phillies-When healthy, Howard is still an elite power hitter. Health may consider to be a big issue though.<br />
34-<b>Cliff Lee (32) </b>SP, Phillies-Lee landed in a great spot and should be a solid number two fantasy pitcher for the next few seasons.<br />
35-<b>Jose Reyes (27) </b>SS, Mets-If Reyes can stay on the field, he still has the ability to put up solid numbers. The Mets may reign him in a bit to try and keep him on the field more.<br />
36-<b>C.C. Sabathia (30) </b>SP, Yankees-Sabathia should continue to produce at the top of the Yankee rotation.<br />
37-<b>Andrew McCutchen (24) </b>OF, Pirates-McCutchen has a similar tool set to Carl Crawford. Focus has been an issue for him in Pittsburgh.<br />
38-<b>Zack Greinke (27) </b>SP, Brewers-Greinke looks to take full advantage of improved run support and the weaker lineups that the NL offers.<br />
39-<b>Jason Heyward (21) </b>OF, Braves-Heyward looks to be a future top 10 player. In an impressive rookie year he displayed the plate discipline of a veteran.<br />
40-<b>Kendry Morales (27)</b> 1b, Angels-Look for Morales to push towards the top five at a very deep 1b position.<br />
41-<b>Ian Kinsler (28) </b>2b, Rangers-If Kinsler can stay on the field, he has superstar ability. Health has to be a huge concern though.<br />
42-<b>Joakim Soria (26) </b>RP, Royals-Soria is the best closer in baseball.<br />
43-<b>Shin Soo Choo (28) </b>OF, Indians-Choo is sometimes overlooked but seems reliable for a 300 average with 20 homers and 20 steals.<br />
44-<b>David Price (25) SP, Rays</b>-Price is a future fantasy ace. The loss of a lot of run support could impact his win total in 2011.<br />
45-<b>Nelson Cruz (30) </b>OF, Rangers-Cruz fills up a fantasy stat sheet. Health has been a concern, if he can overcome that, he has top 20 talent.<br />
46-<b>Matt Cain (26) </b>SP, Giants-This may seem like a reach but Cain has been on the cusp for a few years and he is just getting into his prime.<br />
47-<b>Francisco Liriano (27)</b> SP, Twins-Liriano is back and in should pick right up where he left off.<br />
48-<b>Buster Posey (24) </b>C/1b, Giants-Coming off a rookie of the year award, Posey could be a couple of years away from pushing Mauer atop catcher rankings.<br />
49-<b>Mat Latos (23) </b>SP, Padres-Fatigue seemed to set in at the end of last year. Heading into August, Latos was a Cy Young contender.<br />
50-<b>Delmon Young (25) </b>OF, Twins-Coming off of a career year, Young might have entered his prime a little bit early.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36278265061681579.post-39013520657264670222010-12-30T01:41:00.000+00:002010-12-30T01:41:45.190+00:00Draft Day Decision SS (Elvis Andrus vs Starlin Castro)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW8yt0WM2LIXj3uAqiZiVxZMlw5xwHj4I9mE7ojr2Zy5gndMFl2QYnWrqErCcPFuu_RMoFABc3nxoHz_h5VzR1AZ4Sc8gE_hExg7oHP5f99-YZ6XpotI9NptwGeghH4qNjpy8mRQkzfQ/s1600/castro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW8yt0WM2LIXj3uAqiZiVxZMlw5xwHj4I9mE7ojr2Zy5gndMFl2QYnWrqErCcPFuu_RMoFABc3nxoHz_h5VzR1AZ4Sc8gE_hExg7oHP5f99-YZ6XpotI9NptwGeghH4qNjpy8mRQkzfQ/s320/castro.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKWUmhoahDgcDec-5JeDufDzq_Qg_m9B6rAmCL3DcOZmfAdIeJK5mO90U40Kt_75K5heWOHQH4L1wmYiVgc4D24sC3SVrL2velOr2cMOMlgk6OlSg5rySmuJHlgEDa8zLvBgB_hXm_fA/s1600/elvis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKWUmhoahDgcDec-5JeDufDzq_Qg_m9B6rAmCL3DcOZmfAdIeJK5mO90U40Kt_75K5heWOHQH4L1wmYiVgc4D24sC3SVrL2velOr2cMOMlgk6OlSg5rySmuJHlgEDa8zLvBgB_hXm_fA/s320/elvis.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<b>Elvis Andrus</b> is a young shortstop with a lot of upside who is gathering a lot of steam heading into the <b>2011 Fantasy Baseball Drafting Season</b>. He has almost limitless upside in speed and looks like a player that could grow into another <b>Jose Reyes</b> type talent. Based upon his <b>ADP on Mockdraftcentral.com</b>, many fantasy owners are big believers in this future star. He is currently going number 66, which is in the middle of the 6th round for your standard 12 team league. Owners drafting Andrus are hoping that he continues to mature and leads the second tier of fantasy shortstops in 2011.<br />
<b>Starlin Castro</b> is another young shortstop with superstar upside. With just half a season under his belt at the major league level, there is not much history to go off of but Castro did show that he is ready. It will likely take some time before we see just how good Castro will be but his upside is tremendous. His <b>ADP on Mockdraftcentral </b>is much lower than Andrus', currently 159 or early round 14 in 12 team leagues.<br />
There is much more risk in drafting Castro than there is with Andrus. You will likely see more highs and lows with Castro. Both players have similar tools and talents but experience at the major league level is big. While Castro will likely outplay Andrus at times throughout the 2011 season, I doubt that he will be really close at the end of the year. However, that does not mean that Andrus is the better play here. Like a lot of draft day decisions, you have to look at who else is on the board at the time. Other players drafted around the 6th round on MDC include-<b>Clayton Kershaw, Kendry Morales, and Justin Verlander</b>. I would take any of those three along with Castro over Andrus and any other player around round 13-<b>Ricky Romero, Johan Santana and Mike Stanton </b>(I think Stanton will move up from this current position).<br />
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<b>Projections-Andrus-282 avg, 5 hrs, 43 rbi, 41 sbs, 101 runs</b><br />
<b>Castro-285 avg, 7 hrs, 53 rbi, 26sbs, 78 runs</b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36278265061681579.post-58718547859615572612010-12-29T01:06:00.002+00:002011-01-11T09:00:28.901+00:00Franchise ArmsIn keeper leagues, most owners realize, bats are much more valuable than arms. Good hitters are more reliable than good pitchers and they typically have a longer life span in keeper formats. That leads to a lack of truly reliable fantasy aces or "Franchise Arms." A franchise arm is a guy that you can take into the season and know that they will contribute very well in every pitching category that they are eligible for. They are extremely valuable just because there aren't enough of them to go around. Age and team are a major factor because, to make this list, you would have to be a player that an owner could expect to rely upon for the next two or three years.<br />
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<b>Felix Hernandez, (24) SP, Mariners-</b>Coming off of back to back Cy Young caliber seasons, there is no reason to believe that King Felix can't still get better. With better run support, he could approach 20 wins. The only long term concern for his owners would be the massive amount of innings that he has put up already.<br />
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<b>Roy Halladay, (33) SP, Phillies-</b>Halladay is at the top of his game and should be able to continue posting strong numbers for a few more years. His owners, in keeper leagues, would be smart to back him up with a good up and coming young starter. Eventually, Halladay will slow down.<br />
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<b>Tim Lincecum, (26) SP, Giants-</b>The Freak had a bit of a disappointing season in 2010, but, after back to back Cy Young awards expectations may have been a bit to high. He did lose a bit of velocity on his fastball last year, but, his performance late in the year and the playoffs showed that he was back to the dominant ace we all love. If his heater comes back in 2011 lookout.<br />
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<b>Adam Wainwright, (29) SP, Cardinals-</b>The only pitcher on this list without a Cy Young award to his credit, Waino definitely deserves a spot on this list. The runner up in the Cy Young race for the last two years, Waino has been as consistent as any pitcher in baseball. He looks to be entering into his prime now and should be in the discussion as the best pitcher in baseball.<br />
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<b></b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36278265061681579.post-88031767884755523662010-12-22T23:07:00.000+00:002010-12-22T23:07:29.502+00:00Franchise BatsThis a topic I have been meaning to cover for a while now. Since, I play most of my fantasy baseball in keeper and dynasty leagues, this is a topic that I spend a lot of time thinking about. A franchise bat, is a hitter that you can count on to put up elite numbers for the next two to three years and has shown pretty good durability. No matter your league size or stat categories, I think that the number of true franchise hitters is pretty small. I don't necessarily look for a hitter that will help you in every category but they shouldn't kill you in any category unless they put up elite numbers in almost every other category. In a standard (5x5 stats) league, I am looking for a guy who puts up great numbers in at least four categories. History is another important factor because I think it is very dangerous to rely upon a guy who explodes for one year. We have seen that before with guys like B.J. Upton, Prince Fielder and others. If they don't have some history, to support their 2010 numbers, I just can't put them on this list.<br />
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<b>Franchise Hitters</b><br />
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Albert Pujols (31 years old) 1b, Cardinals-no brainer, he is the standard. The only stat he doesn't thrive in is steals and he still gives double digits there<br />
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Miguel Cabrera (26) 1b, Tigers-Another no brainer here, Cabrera has been a first rounder for years and will continue to put up elite numbers across the board (except for sbs)<br />
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Hanley Ramirez (27) SS, Marlins-Hanley puts up great numbers in every category and is just entering the prime of his great career. He has been a top 5 pick for years and he should continue to fill up the stat sheet.<br />
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Robinson Cano (28) 2b, Yankees-While Cano has never been a first round draft pick before, he will be now. I like the journey that Cano took to get to this point. Aside from 2008, his numbers have gone up every year. He is now in his prime and should settle into the role of the best fantasy secondbasemen in the game.<br />
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Evan Longoria (25) 3b, Rays-Longo has already done a lot in his baseball career and is one of the best hitters in the game. What could make that better? How about the fact that, at age 25, we can expect a lot more. He is already the best fantasy player at his position and could become the best fantasy hitter in the game.<br />
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David Wright (28) 3b, Mets-After a down season in 2009, Wright rebounded with another stellar 2010 season. Another player in the prime of his career, Wright should continue to contribute across the board for fantasy owners.<br />
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Ryan Braun (27) OF, Brewers-Most players on this list would not complain about Braun's stat line in 2010. However, many Braun owners were very disappointed. I am certainly not off the bandwagon yet.<br />
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That is it for my list of Franchise bats. I would love to hear your list.<br />
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