November 2009 Archives

Contract year players have an incredible knack of playing above and beyond their normal level...

What 2011 Free Agents do you see having "Monster Years"?

We continue in our 2010 Keeper List series.  Outfielders are one of the most productive fantasy positions.  You need to make sure you get the right ones, here are our top ten lists of fantasy OF'ers.

1. Ryan Braun
2. Matt Kemp
3. Justin Upton
4. Matt Holiday
5. Grady Sizemore
6. Jason Bay
7. Carl Crawford
8. Josh Hamilton
9. Ichiro Suzuki
10. Carlos Beltran

Will's Take:  There is a clear seperation between the top two in the OF and the rest in the position.  Braun bursted on the scene in 07' and has been golden ever since putting on a big league uni.  He has never hit under 30 hrs and has a career BA of .308, certainly my #1.  Matt Kemp is a 5 tool player.  He can do it all and is only getting better.  The power is coming, look out for Kemp for several years to come.  Nobody in the rest of the group distinguishes themseleves.  They are all very good players, but you'd be just as happy with #3 as with #10.  Hamilton is a big risk big reward player, I'm a buyer.  You may want to move Jacoby Ellsbury up in your list if steals are worth a lot, but I prefer more power.

1. Ryan Braun
2. Matt Kemp
3. Jason Bay
4. Matt Holiday
5. Carl Crawford
6. Grady Sizemore
7. Ichiro Suzuki
8. Justin Upton
9. Jacoby Ellsbury
10. Andrew McCutchen

Steve's Take: Ryan Braun is the king of the fantasy Outfielders until somebody knocks him of the throne, this could be the year that Matt Kemp takes it but we'll have to wait and see.  Both Bay and Holiday are Free Agents and their value will be affected by what team signs them and which ball park they are playing in everyday.  Regardless of where they sign those two should put up solid numbers.  Crawford and Ellsbury steal a ton of bases so their value goes up and down based on how important steals are in your league format.  Sizemore needs to rebound from a season where injuries hampered his production.  Upton and McCutchen are young stud players just beginning to hit their fantasy stride.  Adam Lind, Adam Jones, and Carlos Beltran are guys who just missed making my list.

We continue in our 2010 Keeper List series.  Shortstops are the discussion of the day.  Be sure and check out our 1B ,2B, and 3B lists as well.

1. Hanley Ramirez
2. Jose Reyes
3. Jimmy Rollins
4. Troy Tulowitzki
5. Derek Jeter
6. Stephen Drew
7. Yunel Escobar
8. Jason Bartlett
9. Rafael Furcal
10. Alcides Escobar

Will's Take:  SS position is deeper then years past, but you still need to get one of the top 8 - 10 guys to be happy with the position.  If you get one of the top 5 you will have an elite player with a lot of trade value.  With a .342 BA Hanley Ramirez is certainly the top SS and one of the best all around players again this year.  Reyes is coming off of an injury riddled 2009, keep an eye on his steals during spring training to see if his hamstring is back to 100%, if not unload him while he still has high value.  Jimmy Rollins has been ice cold to start the last two years and white hot during the second half of the season, but as long as his overall numbers remain steady, he's my guy at #3.  Tulowitski had a fantastic year with 32 hrs and just below a .300 BA, he's a solid 4.  Jeter is old man river, the ball park helped him this year, at some point he has to slow down, right?  If steals are big in your lead grab Alcides Escobar and stay away from Furcal.

1. Hanley Ramirez
2. Jose Reyes
3. Derek Jeter
4. Jimmy Rollins
5. Troy Tulowitzki
6. Marco Scutaro
7. Jason Bartlett
8. Stephen Drew
9. Yunel Escobar
10. Rafael Furcal

Steve's Take: Hanley Ramirez has lived up to the hype, making him the clear #1 shortstop.  Reyes is a bit of a risk (he only played 36 games last year and had leg surgery in the offseason) but his upside keeps at #2 on my list.  Jeter and Rollins both had good years but Jimmy's age and tendency to start slowly worries me just a bit.  Tulowitzki, Scutaro, and Bartlett need to have repeats of last year to move up to the level of the fantasy big boys.

We continue in our 2010 Keeper List series.  Today we take a look at 2010's projected best fantasy Third Baseman.  Be sure and check out our 1B and 2B lists as well.

1. Alex Rodriguez
2. Evan Longoria
3. Ryan Zimmerman
4. David Wright
5. Pablo Sandoval
6. Mark Reynolds
7. Kevin Youkilis
8. Aramis Ramirez
9. Chone Figgins
10. Gordon Beckham

Will's Take:  This position is a little leaner then in years past, but A-Rod continues to reign supreme at 3rd base.  The position is starting to turn over to some younger guys like Longoria, Wright, Zimmerman and Sandoval.  I like Sandoval's versitility and he's hitting the weights this offseason, so look for a big year out of him.  Mark Reynolds is feast or famine.  Youk is dual eligible and a durable, dependable player.  Ramirez is coming off of a bad year where he battled shoulder injuries...Shoulder injuries are scary and tend to linger.  Chone Figgins is a hot FA on the market and his value will in part be determined by what team he ends up with.  Gordon Beckham is a young guy with a great upside.  He will be dual eligible (2nd/3rd) early in the year.

1. Alex Rodriguez
2. Evan Longoria
3. David Wright
4. Ryan Zimmerman
5. Mark Reynolds
6. Pablo Sandoval
7. Kevin Youkilis
8. Chone Figgins
9. Gordan Beckham
10. Aramis Ramirez

Steve's Take: Once again we have a consensus #1 at the position.  A-Rod missed a ton of games and he still put up good numbers.  Plus he really looks comfortable in that new ballpark.  Longoria had a breakout fantasy season and his owners hope he'll be as good in 2010 or even better.  I'm thinking Wright will bounce back from a disappointing '09.  Reynolds, Sandoval, and Youklilis will be 1B/3B in most leagues which I covet.  Figgins' value fluctuates based on the value of steals in your league and which team he eventually signs with this offseason.  I absolutey love Beckham and his upside, plus like Will pointed out he should be 2B eligible very early on next season.

Yesterday we gave you our 2010 1B Keeper Lists, today we're taking a look at the Second Base Position.

Steve's Take: I really like Utley and Kinsler, they are clearly 1 and 2.  After that it gets a little murky.  While I think Phillips is a good player, something in me keeps thinking everybody is overrating his value, myself included.  We'll be waiting to see if Hill and Zobrist can match last year's efforts.  Like Will said, 2B is a little lean after the 8 spot.  While Lopez and Polanco aren't "keepers" they are solid players who won't kill your team.  Dan Uggla misses making my list because of his strikeout issues.

It's never to early to start thinking about your Keepers for next season.  Many a League Championship have been won and lost in the offseason.  Here are our preliminary 1B keeper lists for the 2010 season.

Steve's Take: Pujols is everybody's number 1 first baseman, so no surprise there.  Cabrera's off field issues and Morneau's back make each a bit of risk, but a risk I'd still take.  Sandoval and Yuke are both 3rd eligible also which I absolutely love!   Victor Martinez, Mark Reynolds, and Joey Votto just miss the list.