Here are my ‘10 Rankings for the Third Base Position.  This is a rough look at how the Third Baseman should go in your draft. These rankings will most likely change as we go through Spring training and see how hard everyone has worked over the off-season.  Keep an eye on these rankings so you don’t miss out on anything.

Here are my ‘10 Rankings for the Second Base Position.  This is a rough look at how the Second Baseman should go in your draft. These rankings will most likely change as we go through Spring training and see how hard everyone has worked over the off-season.  Keep an eye on these rankings so you don’t miss out on anything.

Here are my ‘10 Rankings for the Short Stop Position.  This is a rough look at how the Short Stops should go in your draft. These rankings will most likely change as we go through Spring training and see how hard everyone has worked over the off-season.  Keep an eye on these rankings so you don’t miss out on anything.

Read the rest of this entry »

Here are my ‘10 Rankings for the First Base Position.  This is a rough look at how the first baseman should go in your draft. These rankings will most likely change as we go through Spring training and see how hard everyone has worked over the off-season.  Keep an eye on these rankings so you don’t miss out on anything.

Fantasy Relevance ‘10 is a breakdown of each M.L.B. team that shows the players with fantasy value from each respective team. There are four categories the players will be broken down into and they are as follows: Studs, Role Players, Keepers and Sleepers. Hopefully this will help you in your quest for Fantasy Baseball dominance.

Studs:

Manny Ramírez- It seems as though Manny will spend his last year in Dodger blue this season so this is where we will discuss his attributes, even though he might not finish the season here.  Manny is a phenomenal hitter that will produce in any lineup.  He is playing for a new contract this year, and we all know that money motivates the hell out of Manny. Either way, he will be a very solid fantasy player this year. Read the rest of this entry »

Fantasy Relevance ‘09 is a breakdown of each M.L.B. team that shows the players with fantasy value from each respective team. There are four categories the players will be broken down into and they are as follows: Studs, Role Players, Keepers and Sleepers. Hopefully this will help you in your quest for Fantasy Baseball dominance.

Studs:

Grady Sizemore- He will most likely be taken in the top 10 of your draft this year. Sizemore is entering the beginning stages of his prime and should be a great source of HR, RBI, Runs and SB. The BA could also be there even though he only hit .268 last year. In ‘06 he hit .290 so we know that he is capable of producing a good BA. Most people feel that he will improve on all of his numbers across the board and with good reason. He increased his RBI, HR, SB and OPS last year but went down in OBP and Runs. The decrease in Runs can be attributed to not having a healthy Travis Hafner or Victor Martinez in the lineup for most of the season. So, if those two guys comeback healthy, there’s no telling what could happen. Sizemore is one of those guys that just might make a serious run at AL MVP. Read the rest of this entry »

Fantasy Relevance ‘09 is a breakdown of each M.L.B. team that shows the players with fantasy value from each respective team. There are four categories the players will be broken down into and they are as follows: Studs, Role Players, Keepers and Sleepers. Hopefully this will help you in your quest for Fantasy Baseball dominance.

Studs:

Tim Lincecum- Last year’s NL Cy Young winner is probably going to come off the board as the one of the top three pitchers in most drafts. He is an excellent source of ERA, Wins, WHIP and K. The only thing he doesn’t do is get you Saves. Some people might think that there is no way he could repeat what he did last year but I am not one of those people. He is the real deal and will be for a very long time. There is a very good chance that he will repeat as the NL Cy Young award winner unless Johan Santana has something to say about it. He also has one of the greatest power pitchers of all-time as his stable mate in Randy Johnson. Having that veteran presence available will be an unbelievable resource for Lincecum to tap into. It is a toss up between Lincecum and Santana as to who I would pick first but I think but there is no arguing that you can’t go wrong with Lincecum on your roster. Expect Wins in the high teens with an ERA below 3.00 (I know it’s crazy), 240+ K and a WHIP below 1.20. Read the rest of this entry »

If you would like to email your questions or comments, you can reach me at craver@rotoassist.com

Q:Do you think that the allegations against Alex Rodriguez will hurt his fantasy stats this year?
Travis- New York, NY

A: Well, truthfully they aren’t allegations anymore. He has admitted to it. Now, will they hurt his stats this year is a great question. He will most likely be taken in the top three picks of your fantasy draft. Who knows what this will do to him emotionally. he has always been the type of guy to worry about what everyone thinks about him and this could cause some serious problems for his owners. On the other hand, he might use baseball as a way to escape from everyone and their opinions of him My guess is that he will put up the numbers we expect from him just like he does every year. he seems to have the support from his teammates and fans and that should be enough to get him through this.

Q: What do you think of the rumor that Jerry Porter might be returning to the Raiders? Is it a good fit?
Alex- Oakland, CA

A: Well, I think it is a rumor and until it is confirmed I wouldn’t really put any faith into it. When Porter left the Raiders it was not pretty. He had been suspended for 4 games during the season and burned a lot of bridges. Now, we all know that none of that matters when dealing with Al Davis. Davis has always been fond of Porter since making him a 2nd round draft choice and we all know how proud Davis is of “his” draft picks. Porter could be a nice compliment to the receiving corps and could provide some much needed leadership from a veteran presence after the Raiders released Ronald Curry. He also could be a very nice target for Jamarcus Russell.

Q: Which team do you think did the best at the NBA trade deadline?
Rich- Houston, TX

A: I would have to say that the Chicago Bulls probably did the best when it comes to trades. Most of the trades that were done this season were made to get under the salary cap for next season in order to avoid the luxury tax. The Bulls were able to get rid of Andres Nocioni’s horrible contract while still making their team better this year for a playoff push without harming their future. They will still be a contender in the 2010 free-agency bidding wars with Brad Miller’s contract coming off the books after next season. But, in the meantime Miller will be a very nice addition to the Bulls where he can defend the middle and step out and score while handling the ball well. He should be a good fit with Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah. John Salmons is also a good player that can play the 2 or 3 and will probably come off the bench. The Bulls will almost certainly lose Ben Gordon to free-agency next year and Salmons is signed for next year with an opt out clause for the ‘10 season.

Q: Would you rather have Johan Santana or Tim Lincecum on your team?
Jerry- San Francisco, CA

A: That all depends on whether you mean my fantasy team or as a #1 on a real team if I were an owner. If we are talking about a fantasy team, I would have to say Santana just because he has been sooooo consistent and done it over and over again where Lincecum is a good player and will most likely be a great player for the Giants for a long time, he doesn’t have quite the same track record as Santana. Now, if you were referring to a real team, then I would have to say Lincecum. He has the potential to be a star for a very long time just like Santana but at a much younger age and cheaper price tag. Lincecum has the makeup to be a power version of Santana or more appropriately a young Pedro Martinez.

Fantasy Relevance ‘09 is a breakdown of each M.L.B. team that shows the players with fantasy value from each respective team. There are four categories the players will be broken down into and they are as follows: Studs, Role Players, Keepers and Sleepers. Hopefully this will help you in your quest for Fantasy Baseball dominance.

Studs:

Brandon Webb- 22-7 with a 3.30 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 183 Ks. What more can you say? The guy is a fantasy stud year in and year out. He will most likely be the 3rd or 4th pitcher taken in the draft depending on when C.C. Sabathia goes but you can’t go wrong with Webb. He is almost guaranteed to get 16+ Wins with an ERA in the low 3s. His Ks won’t blow you out of the water but he gets enough to not hurt you in the category. I have never owned Webb in a fantasy league and I think it is time I target him in a draft or two. He is as consistent as they come and you have nothing to worry about if he is on your roster. Read the rest of this entry »

Fantasy Relevance ‘09 is a breakdown of each M.L.B. team that shows the players with fantasy value from each respective team. There are four categories the players will be broken down into and they are as follows: Studs, Role Players, Keepers and Sleepers. Hopefully this will help you in your quest for Fantasy Baseball dominance.

Studs:

Aramis Ramirez- He’ll give you a BA right around .285 with 25+ HR and close to 100+ RBI/Runs. He isn’t the stud he used to be but he is still a very solid 3rd baseman to have on your squad. He will most likely have Soriano, Ryan Theriot, Derrek Lee and Milton Bradley hitting in front of him with rising star Geovany Soto hitting behind him so there shouldn’t be an issue with RBI opportunities or protection in the lineup. This current lineup should bode well for Ramirez. Read the rest of this entry »