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Mariano Rivera

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We continue in our 2010 Keeper List series.  Today's look at the top fantasy Relief Pitchers is the first Keeper Top Ten list without a consensus #1.... If you've missed our other positional breakdowns, check them out here!

Will's RP List
  1. Mariano Rivera
  2. Joe Nathan
  3. Jonathan Papelbon
  4. Heath Bell
  5. Jonathan Broxton
  6. Francisco Rodriguez
  7. Francisco Cordero
  8. Brian Fuentes
  9. Joakim Soria
  10. Brian Wilson
Will's Take:  At some point his reign must end, but at 39 Mo Rivera keeps churning out the saves and has the team to give him opportunities to get saves in 2010.  Put Nathan, Papelbon or Bell on the Yankees and they are at the top of the list, but until that time they are 2-4.  Broxton is #5 despite having stretches in the season where he implodes.  K-Rod with a whip of 1.309 is shaky.  With the amount of close games the Angeles are in Brian Fuentes led the league in saves.  With a better team behind him Brian Wilson will shoot up the list.  Saves are all about opportunities, get a guy on a good team and your good to go.

Steve's RP List
  1. Joe Nathan
  2. Mariano Rivera
  3. Jonathan Papelbon
  4. Jonathan Broxton
  5. Joakim Soria
  6. Francisco Rodriguez
  7. Brian Fuentes
  8. Huston Street
  9. Francisco Cordero
  10. Ryan Franklin
Steve's Take: I have a general rule about not paying a lot for closers.  Whether that is drafting one in the early rounds or using a keeper selection, it's just not something I like to do.  With the unpredictability of the position it's very hard to justify a high pick.  With that being said, Nathan is really the only reliever I would even consider keeping.  There are no indications that Rivera's skills are going anywhere ... but his age and his home ballpark really scare me.  Papelbon, Broxton, and Fuentes are solid pitchers on solid teams.  Soria is a great pitcher on a not so great team.  K-Rod needs the Mets' bats to heal up.  Street had a really good '09, hopefully he can have a repeat performance.
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Tim Lincecum

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We continue in our 2010 Keeper List series.  Today we feature the top Fantasy Starting Pitchers.  Not only are these guys keepers, they're guys you can build your team around.  Make sure you check out our other Positional Rankings as well.

Will's SP List
  1. Tim Lincecum
  2. Zack Greinke
  3. Roy Halladay
  4. Felix Hernandez
  5. Dan Haren
  6. CC Sabathia
  7. Johan Santana
  8. Chris Carpenter
  9. Justin Verlander
  10. Jon Lester
Will's Take:  Being left handed, 25 years old and averaging 263 K's over the last two years puts Tim Lincecum at the top of the starting pitching heap.  He's young, he's filthy, and he's the total package.  Right behind him is Greinke, he's just a year older and had a better ERA (2.16) then Lincecum (2.48), but is on an awful team.  "Doc" Halladay is 3rd on my list with 9 CG's and 4 shutouts, if he's traded to a national league team he shoots to #1.  Winning almost 80% of his starts and being 24 years old with over 200 SO's puts King Felix at #4.  Looks like the Mariners are going to put more money into the team which should help Hernandez.  Dan Haren is 5th despite being on a horrible team and winning less then 60% of his games.  The Diamondbacks can't get any worse and he plays in the NL West, the best pitchers parks in the league.  The Park hurts CC, at #6, but he has showing he can overcome, plus he is destined to have a lot of wins with the offense the Yankee's posses.  Despite injury coming in at 7 is Johan Santana, I look for him to rebound from injury and have a great 2010, but he needs the Mets to get some bats this offseason to get the W's.  Chris Carpenter is nasty at #8, he is almost unhittable, but is an injury risk.  Verlander is 9th, I'm calling his 2008 an aberration.  Rounding out the top 10 is Jon Lester; His only downfall is he plays in the brutal AL East.  Bottom line is if you have 2 of these guys you will have a good chance for fantasy success and at the very least guys that are desirable for trades.

Steve's SP List
  1. Tim Lincecum
  2. Zack Greinke
  3. Felix Hernandez
  4. CC Sabathia
  5. Johan Santana
  6. Roy Halladay
  7. Dan Haren
  8. Chris Carpenter
  9. Jon Lester
  10. Cliff Lee
Steve's Take: Lincecum, Greinke, and Hernandez were not only the top three fantasy pitchers last year, they're all young and will be fantasy studs for years to come.  They are the perfect types of guys to build your fantasy team around.  CC is in the prime of his career on the best team in the league.  I'm confident Johan and the rest of the Mets will rebound from their disappointing '09 season.  Like Will said Halladay's value is really tied to where he is pitching next season.  Being number six on the list is really a worst case scenario.  Put him on a contender and the sky is the limit.  I think we'll see the '08 version of Cliff Lee in 2010, a full season with the Phils will work wonders for him.  Verlander just missed my list mostly because I see him as a feast or famine guy.  He has the potential to finish in the top 3 or he could finish way out of the top 10.
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Joe Mauer

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We continue in our 2010 Keeper List series.  Today we look at Fantasy Catchers.  Be sure to check out our other positional rankings as well.

Will's Catcher List
  1. Joe Mauer
  2. Brian McCann
  3. Victor Martinez
  4. Matt Wieters
  5. Jorge Posada
  6. Russell Martin
  7. Buster Posey
  8. Kurt Suzuki
  9. Chris Iannetta
  10. Mike Napoli
Will's Take:  Every year catchers are one of the scarcest commodities, this year is no different.  Reigning MVP Joe Mauer coming off an injury shortened 2009 hitting .365 with 28 HRs and 96 RBI's is the clear #1 guy here.  McCann and Martinez are really close.  I gave the edge to McCann based on his age, but one could go with Martinez for his versatility.  Weiters is the young guy to have as a keeper.  He has a big bat; he never hit below .300 and hit about 30 bombs in the minors.  Posada came off an injury filled 2008 and had a productive year.  He could be more productive in 2010 since he should be able stay away from bumps and bruises by being used more in the DH role.  This is a make or break year for Russell Martin.  He had a terrible year in 09'.  Maybe the amount of games behind the plate has taken its toll as his stolen base total was not on par with his norm.  Though he may not get the job out of spring training, Buster Posey is another up and coming kid behind the dish.  Last year he hit in the 20's for HR's and posted a batting average will above .300. The rest on the list are solid guys.  A bounce back candidate would be Geovany Soto.  Yadier Molina is a solid late draft guy.

Steve's Catcher List
  1. Joe Mauer
  2. Victor Martinez
  3. Brian McCann
  4. Jorge Posada
  5. Matt Wieters
  6. Miguel Montero
  7. Russell Martin
  8. Chris Iannetta
  9. Kurt Suzuki
  10. Mike Napoli
Steve's Take: I tend to treat Catchers as a luxury item.  This year only the top two guys are without a doubt worth one of those precious keeper spots.  Mauer's numbers speak for themselves and Martinez's numbers and positional versatility make him nearly priceless as well.  McCann and Posada are great players who I'd be tempted to draft fairly early or who might make it as a 5th or 6th keeper depending on the rest of my team.  Wieters and Montero are good young players with lots of upside.  Will is right about Big Russ, he needs to bounce back in a big way from last year's horrible fantasy showing.
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Ryan Braun

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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.

Will's OF List
  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.

Steve's OF List
  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.
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{{Information |Description = |Source = I creat...

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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.

Will's SS List
  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.

Steve's SS List
  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.
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Alex Rodriguez

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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.

Will's 3B List
  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.

Steve's 3B List
  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.
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Chase Utley rounding the bases after hitting a...

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


Will's 2B List
  1. Chase Utley
  2. Ian Kinsler
  3. Dustin Pedroia
  4. Robinson Cano
  5. Brandon Phillips
  6. Aaron Hill
  7. Brian Roberts
  8. Ben Zobrist
  9. Jose Lopez
  10. Dan Uggla
Will's Take:  Second base is a lean position, if you don't get one of the top 8 then you will be searching for one the whole year.  Chase Utley is the clear cut #1.  Pedroia drops down from last year as Cano comes up with the help of the new ballpark.  While I love Phillips athleticsim he needs to make it through a whole season injury free.  Zobrist is a dual eligible player in most leagues which will give you added flexibility.  If Uggla could cut down on the strikeouts he would move way up on the list.

Steve's 2B List
  1. Chase Utley
  2. Ian Kinsler
  3. Robinson Cano
  4. Dustin Pedroia
  5. Brandon Phillips
  6. Aaron Hill
  7. Brian Roberts
  8. Ben Zobrist
  9. Jose Lopez
  10. Placido Polanco
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.
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Photo by Rafael Amado©

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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.


Will's 1B List
  1. Albert Pujols
  2. Mark Teixeira
  3. Prince Fielder
  4. Miguel Cabrera
  5. Ryan Howard
  6. Adrian Gonzalez
  7. Justin Morneau
  8. Pablo Sandoval
  9. Joey Votto
  10. Kendry Morales
Will's Take:  No question on #1.  Pujols is not only first among first basemen, but overall as well.  I moved Cabrera down due to his domestic issues and questionable desire and love for the game.  Keep track of Morneau and his bad back.  Sandoval and Votto are young up and comers that hit for power and average.  Sandoval may be dual eligible in your league.

Steve's 1B List
  1. Albert Pujols
  2. Mark Teixeira
  3. Prince Fielder
  4. Ryan Howard
  5. Miguel Cabrera
  6. Justin Morneau
  7. Adrian Gonzalez
  8. Pablo Sandoval
  9. Kevin Youkilis
  10. Kendry Morales
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.  
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