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 Thursday, March 17, 2011Compete against Derek Carty for cashAs you know, I'll be playing daily fantasy baseball leagues this season and writing about them at FanDuel. Now, you'll have the chance to compete against me in my first ever daily league on April 1 for the chance to win cash. And the best part is, entrance is 100% free! We'll be competing in a FanDuel MLB Salary Cap 35k contest where you have $35k to spend on any nine players you want at the following positions: P, C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, LF, CF, RF The scoring system is points based: Hitters: 1B = 1pt, 2B = 2pts, 3B = pts, HR = 4pts, RBI = 1pt, R = 1pt, BB = 1pt, SB = 2pts, Out = -.25pt Pitchers: W = 7pts, ER = -1pt, SO=1pt, IP = 1pt Prizes are structured as such: 1st $100 2nd $75 3rd $30 4th $20 5th $15 6th $10 Additionally, anyone who beats me, whether they finish in the top six or not, will receive $5. So if you're like me and have always wanted to try a daily league, now's your chance to do so, completely free, and with the added bonus of getting to compete against me and win cash! And if you need extra incentive, you will be helping THT make a little money just by playing. All you have to do is click here, sign up (takes less than a minute), and pick your team! I'm very excited to be playing in daily leagues this year, and I hope some of you will join me! Posted by Derek Carty at 8:55am (4) Comments Friday, March 18, 2011Waiver Wire: NL, preseason specialWith the calendar flipping to March, baseball season is go. Say your favorite football player's name out loud. Did you do it? Good. You are not allowed to mention his name or the name of any other football player, let alone the word "football," for the next six months. This isn't ESPN. This is the Hardball Times and we eat, drink and sleep baseball. It's our time to shine. First things first. Before you start doing draft day diligence, make sure to stretch. Just ask Adam Wainwright's trainer: don't throw a curveball just yet. You don't want to tear a draft muscle. What does this mean? It means before you start tallying your sleepers, figuring out who you are going to buy, who is over/underrated, etc., you need to hop on to Mock Draft Central, Yahoo, ESPN or whatever service you prefer and do a few mock drafts/auctions. Chances are your sleeper is a popular sleeper, and that you've overlooked a strong pick or two. More importantly, by becoming familiar with the preseason market, you can understand which known commodities are getting overlooked ("de facto sleepers," like Cole Hamels last year), and which young players and other "sleepers" are getting entirely too much hype to justify the rookie risk (e.g., Chris Davis, vintage 2009). I can promise you that none of those popular young players you like so much—Mike Stanton, Jason Heyward, or Jeremy Hellickson to name a few—are going to go cheap this season. The same can probably be said of last year's group of guys who "the peripherals said they underperformed their potential!" like James Shields, Jay Bruce or even Carlos Pena. Same goes with Jose Bautista, whom we fantasy and real-life baseball writers have been touting as some blend of "the real deal" and "Brady Anderson." No, these guys are known, and they will cost at least the value of the risk. To find the real sleepers, you need to dig deeper. You need to find this year's Colby Lewises, Gio Gonzalezes and Drew Stubbses. Before we get to the analysis, you may want to review the results from The Hardball Times pre-preseason mock draft from late January. Everyone who participated in the draft, which featured fantasy writers from around the internet, spent an incredible amount of time participating in a post-draft write-up explaining why they picked who they did where and why (I say why twice, because there is a lot of good analysis in these articles). You can find the write-up analysis in eight parts: Rounds 1-3 || Rounds 4-6 || Rounds 7-9 || Rounds 10-12 || Rounds 13-16 || Rounds 17-19 || Rounds 20-22 || Rounds 23-25 The Waiver Wire series will kick into full gear in April, but Josh Shepardson and I felt it appropriate to do at least one preseason Waiver Wire article addressing some real sleepers and strong cheap buys. This article focuses exclusively on names outside the top 200 index, per Mock Draft Central's most up-to-date average draft position ("ADP") report (the report extensively covers all draft data from MDC from Feb. 10-24). These are the players most likely to turn a profit in 2011. If a player goes any sooner than pick No. 200, he's not a true sleeper, even if he is relatively undervalued, no matter how small a record of success he has in the majors. Below, you will find data relating to both MDC index (indexed draft ranking, or IDR) and the earliest position the player went over the sample period (EDP). You can find a comparison of MDC rankings to those of Yahoo and ESPN over at RotoAuthority (I compiled the data to the best of my ability, but there are a few missing rankings for ESPN players). The players' 2010 stats and 2011 Oliver projections are also listed. If I missed a sleeper listed in my rankings comparison chart (again, see RotoAuthority for that information), feel free to sound off in the comments below! All data are current through March 16. Freddie Freeman | Atlanta | 1B | 44 percent Yahoo ownership MDC IDR: 283 | MDC EDP: 213 2010 Stats: .167/.167/.333 Oliver 2011: .272/.329/.438 Oliver has a reputation for being one of the best systems at projecting young players based on minor league data, but I think the system is a bit too bearish on Freddie Freeman's immediate potential. Freeman's 24-plate appearance cup of coffee in 2010 was quite dull, but but he absolutely raked in last season, hitting .320/.378/.522 over 517 PA. Freeman is not a super-powerful or super-walking first basemen of the early 2000s mold, but he is everything James Loney owners could have ever wished for and an entirely underrated corner infield option for mixed leagues and fringe first base option for stars-and-scrubs auctioneers. Oliver projects the 22-year old Freeman as capable of a .290-plus batting average with 20-plus home run capability in the next few seasons, but it seems odd that Freeman, who has little left to prove in Triple-A and will open the season as the Braves' starting first baseman, would be projected to underwhelm in the immediate future. I know I said this about Justin Smoak last year, but I expect a 2008 Derrek Lee like campaign out of Freeman this year. I have Freeman pegged for a .285-plus batting average, about 20 home runs, and 80 or more runs/RBI if batting out of the middle of Atlanta's lackluster offense. Atlanta's going to win with pitching and defense this year, but Freeman could still do some worthwhile damage batting around Heyward (the J-Hey kid) and Brian McCann. Think of him as the consolation prize for losing out on Ike Davis Ike Davis | Mets | 1B | 69 percent Yahoo ownership MDC IDR: 201 | MDC EDP: 166 2010 Stats: .277/.365/.477 Oliver 2011: .255/.329/.423 Speaking of Ike Davis, baseball's latest bat in the not evil part of New York is brilliantly under-appreciated. Though he may not be as young as Freeman or possess the batting average upside (Davis is more of a mid-to-high .270s-type hitter), Davis projects to be a more powerful, more short-term polished hitter who is more certain to bat behind a deeper pool of hitting talent out of the sixth spot of the Mets' meshugana lineup. I expect a .277 batting average with 24 or more home runs and 100 RBI potential. Bill James thinks he will perform likewise, albeit with a slightly higher batting average (.283). Now, Citi Field is not a preferable place in fantasy for your hitters to call home, but it is no Petco Park or Busch Stadium. The Mets have lowered the home run walls' height in the past year or so and David Wright was able to effectively rekindle his power stroke in 2010. Do not necessarily discount Mets talent for the park (that includes Jason Bay, whom I have pegged for a nice bounce back campaign). Davis, like Freeman, should make a strong late-game corner infield option and fringe starting fantasy first baseman. Danny Espinosa | Nationals | 2B | 5 percent Yahoo ownership MDC IDR: 376 | MDC EDP: 221 2010 Stats: .214/.27/.447. Oliver 2011: .231/.294/.389 Don't let Oliver's rate stat projections fool you with respect to Espinosa. They do not tell the story of his tantalizing power/speed combination. Despite a high strikeout rate (his career strikeout rate between both the minors and majors is upwards of 22 percent) that will surely keep his batting average in Adam Dunn territory, Espinosa has accrued 46 career home runs and 56 career stolen bases in only 1,317 plate appearances between the major and minor leagues. Over the course of a 600-plate appearance season (approximately 150 games played), that prorates to a 21/25 season. Oliver has Espinosa projected for a 17/15 campaign over 599 plate appearances. Second base is not necessarily a shallow position, especially considering I have Kelly Johnson, whom I like, ranked just outside the top 10, but Espinosa offers, if you can anchor his batting average, the kind of 20/20 production which is rare amongst big league players, let alone middle infielders. As a bonus, Espinosa may get some playing time throughout the season at shortstop (such as when Ian Desmond gets days off, , in which case Espinosa becomes that much more enticing. Mark my words, Espinosa will make a top 15 second basemen this year, with top 10 upside. In a world where batting average risks like Mark Reynolds and Carlos Pena get $10-15 bids, you should absolutely consider filling your middle infield position by taking a cheap flier on Espinosa. Chase Headley | Padres | 3B | 19 percent Yahoo ownership MDC IDR: 266 | MDC EDP: 191 2010 Stats: .264/.327/.375 Oliver 2011: .253/.324/.378 Headley is underrated. He's not going to light the world on fire, with a batting average that is likely to sit between .260 and .275, but has 15/15 potential that makes him an effective late round $1-2 flier to fill out the corner infield. Heck, if a 12/12 shortstop like Mike Aviles is valuable, there is no reason to disregard Chase Headley. Neil Walker | Pirates | 2B, 3B | 84 percent Yahoo ownership MDC IDR: 251 | MDC EDP: 153 2010 Stats: .296/.349/.462 Oliver 2011: .257/.305/.424 Is this former top pick a late bloomer or extended flash-in-the-pan? Walker's combined 18 home runs and 12 stolen bases between Triple-A and the major leagues last season (659 PA) was solid, especially for a middle-infield eligible player, as was his combined .303 batting average (.296 batting average in the majors). Underlying this all, however, is a .340 major league batting average on balls in play that is well above his expected .315 mark. If we adjust Walker's 2010 triple slash line to reflect his expected BABIP, graciously assuming that all subtracted hits would have been singles, we get a .276/.331/.443 (.774 OPS) production line that is well below his actual .811 OPS last season. That's above average for the major leagues, but below average for fantasy. Even assuming that Walker is 15/10 capable (Oliver pegs him for a 13/7 campaign) over a full season of play, a .270s batting average is hardly inspiring for a middle infielder when you consider that Johnson, my No. 12 rated second basemen, is projected to outperform that in his sleep. Factor the Pirates' relatively anemic offense into the equation, and you can understand why I was hesitant to barely rank Walker (No. 15) as a top 15 second basemen. Still, for NL-only leagues, Walker could make a solid late-round second base filler if you can allocate that money to upgrade elsewhere. I suppose you could do worse at middle infield as well. Let someone else pay for him (Yahoo has him ranked No. 149 overall); Walker's an anti-sleeper. Dexter Fowler | Colorado | OF | 43 percent Yahoo ownership MDC IDR: 224 | MDC EDP: 178 2010 Stats: .260/.347/.410 Oliver 2011: .272/.353/.420 Free Dexter Fowler! Free Dexter Fowler! That's the chant you heard repeatedly in 2009 and 2010, and in 2011, it seems that manager Jim Tracy is finally going to give in. Dexter Fowler is currently projected to bat leadoff for the Rockies on Opening Day (and the whole season, if all goes well), and his blend of strong on-base skills (career .351 OBP, 11.8 percent walk rate) and speed (career 7.2 speed score) should lead to a 30-stolen base, 100 runs scored campaign if he's given a full season's worth of playing time. If a little BABIP-luck falls Fowler's way as well, he could also post a solid batting average. Though Fowler strikes out about a quarter of the time, a bit high for a hitter with average power, he drives the ball very well, averaging a 21.1 percent line drive clip for his career. Speaking of power, 25-year-old Fowler's career isolated power mark of .141, trending up every every season, could yield 10-15 home runs in 2011 as he enters his peak growth years (age 25-26) when you further consider that half of his games are played at Coors Field. Fowler has always been a trendy breakout pick who has never gotten the chance, but 2011 seems to be his year. Forget Eric Young Jr.'s tantalizing, but empty stolen base potential. It's Fowler's time to shine, baby! Jhoulys Chacin | Colorado | SP, RP | 74 percent Yahoo ownership MDC IDR: 235 | MDC EDP: 168 2010 Stats: 3.28 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 9.04 K/9, 2.26 K/BB Oliver 2011: 3.98 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 7.3 K/9, 1.95 K/BB In terms of talent, Chacin is today what Ubaldo Jimenez was just a few year ago—a heavy groundball pitcher (46.6 percent last season) with high strikeout tendencies (career 11.0 percent swinging strike rate over 148.1 major league innings) and a propensity for liberally issuing hall passes to the players he's teaching to revere his sick slider/curveball combo. Oliver's 2011 projection for Chacin seems a bit strange, as its 2012 projection for him is a 3.62 ERA, a 1.26 WHIP and a 7.8 K/9 -- a talent level Oliver projects to improve upon through 2016 (3.51 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 7.9 K/9). Pair together Chacin's strong swinging strike rate and resulting major league strikeouts (138 over 137.1 innings pitched) with the above information, and you have a breakout candidate. Others have taken notice, as evidenced by the 74 percent ownership rate, but Chacin is still going way too low given his tantalizing upside. I have Chacin ranked as the No. 32 overall pitcher for fantasy this season, but could see him ending up as a solid No. 2 starting pitcher by season's end. Just to give you some idea of value, Madison Bumgarner, whom I rank as the No. 30 pitcher overall, is going almost 100 picks earlier (144 IDR, 113 EDP). Mike Minor | Atlanta | SP | 12 percent Yahoo ownership MDC IDR: 250 | MDC EDP: 209 2010 Stats: 5.98 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, 9.52 K/9, 3.91 K/BB Oliver 2011: 3.98 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 7.3 K/9, 2.11 K/BB Despite Minor's 40-inning results in the majors last season (5.98 ERA, 1.57 WHIP), he struck out 23.2 percent of the batters he faced, while walking fewer than 6 percent. At 34.9 percent, Minor's groundball rate is on par with such flyball percentage leaders such as Javier Vazquez, Scott Baker, Matt Garza, Phil Hughes and Daniel Hudson). That groundball rate is a bit low for my preference, but Minor does not pitch in Yankee Stadium, Chase Field, or even my beloved Wrigley and yet (most of) these pitchers get plenty of love on draft day, despite Minor possessing better strikeout stuff and having better command. Minor's FIP (3.77) and xFIP (3.86) were pretty similar last season and are better indicators of what he's more likely capable of in 2011 compared to 2010. Minor's 2010 Double-A MLE comes out to a 3.93 ERA and 1.24 WHIP. I own Minor in basically all of my leagues, shallow and deep alike, and Minor, having a solid spring, looks poised to edge Brandon Beechy (another pitcher I like) for the Braves' fifth starter spot. Acquire accordingly. Note: Beachy's been elected the fifth starter in place of Mike Minor. Though an inferior pitcher in talent, Beachy should post equally strong numbers out of the Braves rotation, notching a mid-to-high 3's ERA, a mid-to-high 1.2-something WHIP, and a K/9 around or just below 8.0. Make sure you are #GoingToTheBeach this summer or you'll surely regret it. Carlos Zambrano | Atlanta | SP, RP | 73 percent Yahoo ownership MDC IDR: 261 | MDC EDP: 200 2010 Stats: 3.33 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 8.12 K/9, 1.70 K/BB Oliver 2011: 4.04 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 7.5 K/9, 1.85 K/BB Say what you will about his temper, his love of Red Bull, and his unfliching hatred of Gatorade, bananas, his teammates, etc., but Big Z has never posted an ERA of even 4.00 in his entire career. Zambrano's WHIPs have been ugly over the past two years (1.38 in 2009, 1.45 in 2010), but his WHIPs routinely ranged between 1.15 and 1.33 between 2003 and 2008 and could return to that form in 2011. Why? For starters, Big Z's strikeout rate has returned above the 8.0 mark over the past two seasons after dipping to 7.4 and 6.2 between 2007 and 2008. Furthermore, his FIP has tumbled down considerably in recent years (3.61 in 2009, 3.71 in 2010) after routinely sitting in the low-mid 4's between 2006 and 2008. On the flip side, his xFIPs have not been particularly pretty since 2005, but Zambrano's nonetheless outperformed his xFIP for his career. If you love Matt Cain and believe that certain pitchers can consistently outperform their peripherals, then Big Z is your sleeper. Little known fact: Carlos Zambrano was the best pitcher after Aug. 9 last year, closing the season with a 1.41 ERA, a 60:26 K/BB and 1.00 WHIP over his final 11 starts (70.1 innings pitched). If you can stomach the WHIP risk, consider saving a few dollars and grabbing Big Z late. Tim Stauffer | Atlanta | SP, RP | 47 percent Yahoo ownership MDC IDR: 318 | MDC EDP: 214 2010 Stats: 1.85 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 6.64 K/9, 2.54 K/BB Oliver 2011: 3.58, 1.27 WHIP, 6.1 K/9, 1.97 K/BB I have a friend who has a theory that you can win pitching by exclusively drafting NL West pitchers, particularly those who play for the Padres. I do not know how much I buy in to that theory, though there is some credence to it, but Tim Stauffer certainly fits the bill of an underrated arm whose home park and infield defense bolster strong groundball tendencies, solid walk rates, and poor strikeout stuff. Stauffer is far from an ace, but he's the NL's answer to Dallas Braden. With an offense that was already anemic before they traded Adrian Gonzalez, the Padres did little to hgelp it in the offseason. Hence, wins, like strikeouts, may be a bit of an issue for Stauffer. However, as a spot starter or ratio stabilizer, Stauffer could provide much value for owners in 2011, especially if you pair him with quality relief arms who can offset the strikeout rate concern with innings-pitched caps like Luke Gregerson and Hong-Chih Kuo. Other entirely underrated starters that just missed out on the "outside the top 200 list" include Ted Lilly (192 IDR, 132 EDP, will he ever get the elite WHIP props he deserves?), Jordan Zimmerman (199 IDR, 171 EDP, the post-surgery velocity checks out, the K's are there, the walk rate is solid, and it's been 18-plus months since he underwent Tommy John surgery), and Jorge de la Rosa (188 IDR, 166 EDP, if the walks stay in check, his blend of heavy K's and worm-burners will play well even in Coors Field—think De La Rosa's pre-injury numbers in 2010 or second half of 2009). Also keep an eye on Travis Wood (282 IDR, 231 EDP, set to open the year as the Reds' fifth starter, but health has never been a staple of the Reds' rotation since Dusty Baker took over) and Mike Leake (309 IDR, 318 EDP (no, that's not a typo; ADPs just cluster in the high 200s), Leake is set to finally take a ride through the Reds' minor league system after 138.1 solid innings of major league experience last season). In addition to the above starters, here are some undervalued relievers who could get you solid ratios and a chance at some saves. Quality relievers are an underrated asset in fantasy:
You can follow me on Twitter this season by clicking here. You can also follow THT Fantasy via Twitter. As always, leave the love/hate in the comments. Posted by Jeffrey Gross at 2:39am (14) Comments Waiver Wire: AL, preseason specialWelcome back to The Waiver Wire everyone. Those who read these weekly columns last year may have noticed that I am now covering the American League, and my counterpart, Jeffrey Gross, will be covering the National League. We hope that by switching league coverage we can offer fresh insight on players. In this special preseason edition, the focus will be on undervalued draft day assets. To qualify, a player has to fall outside the top 200 in Mock Draft Central's most recent ADP index. (Thus I'll be referencing a player's index, not his ADP, i.e. Albert Pujols index is 1 while his ADP is 1.05). MDC Index as of March 8. Matt Thornton | Chicago (AL) | RP | 90 percent Yahoo! ownership | MDC Index 209 2010 Stats:8 SV, 2.67 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 12.02 K/9, 4.05 K/BB, 39.6 GB OLIVER:36 SV, 3.04 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 9.8 K/9, 3.62 K/BB The favorite to close games for the Pale Hose, Thornton, is a solid value at his current average draft slot. Many may be shying away from him for fear that manager Ozzie Guillen opts to use Chris Sale in the ninth inning, but with a solid record and the ability to eat up both lefties and righties Thornton should get the first crack at the closer gig. With his three consecutive seasons of ERAs and xFIP south of 3.00, I see no reason to doubt his ability to hold onto the role. Using a blazing fastball that averaged 96.1 mph (his best velocity dating back as far as FanGraphs tracks, 2004), Thornton made hitters look silly last year, racking up strikeouts by the boatload. His high strikeout rate was firmly supported by a career best 14.9 percent swinging strike rate (8.5 percent league average) and a contact rate against his pitches of just 71.4 percent (80.7 percent league average). Toss in the fact that hitters were fishing out of the zone at 34.1 percent of his pitches (29.3 percent league average) and coming up empty often with just a 61.4 percent o-contact rate (66.5 percent league average) and it's easy to see how he was able to accumulate so many punchouts. Take advantage of others' hesitance to take an "unsecure," closer and draft a reliever capable of posting elite numbers outside the top 200. Recommendation: Should be owned in all formats. Travis Snider | Toronto | OF | 72 percent Yahoo! ownership | MDC Index 247 2010 Stats: .255/.304/.463, 319 PA OLIVER: .253/.315/.461, 623 PA At just 23, Snider's swing already packs punch. In 319 plate appearances last season he ripped 14 homers. It appears the only thing he needs to accumulate 20-plus home runs is playing time. Little appears to be in his way this season, so regular at bats are on the horizon if he remains healthy. Like most young sluggers, Snider has a propensity to strikeout frequently—26.5 percent strikeout rate in 2010. However, his strikeout rate took a step in the right direction last year; it was 32.4 percent in 2009. Last year's healthy line drive rate of 24.3 percent coupled with his growth in making contact (75.0 percent in 2010 as opposed to 70.8 percent in 2009) lead hope to him being more than a low-average slugger type. Those hoping to see him eclipse 30 home runs this season should be rooting for Snider to turn some of his ground balls (or his ridiculous 10.5 percent pop-outs) into fly balls. Since he's playing in a home ballpark that amplifies home run production, more flyballs are Snider's ticket to being an elite power source, as the raw pop is already evident with 18.4 percent HR/FB rate. Likely opening the season in the bottom third of the Blue Jays order, he may leave a bit to be desired in the run and RBI categories until he's able to move up the order, so draft him as a source of power for the time being and anything extra will be gravy. Recommendation: Should be owned in all league formats. Frank Francisco | Toronto | RP | 54 percent Yahoo! ownership | MDC Index 248 2010 Stats: 2 SV, 3.76 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 10.25 K/9, 3.33 K/BB, 39.4 GB OLIVER: 28 SV, 3.48 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 9.8 K/9, 3.23 K/BB With three consecutive seasons of strikeouts per nine innings over 10.0 (10.25 2010) and reasonable walk rates each season ('10: 3.08 BB/9; '09: 2.74 BB/9; '08: 3.69 BB/9), Francisco is the leader in the clubhouse for Blue Jays closing duties. Octavio Dotel should offer zero competition for the role; he's worthless against left-handed batters and better suited to be used only situationally against righthanders. Jason Frasor has a skill set that would make him a passable closer, but the fact that he strikes out fewer hitters and walks more than Francisco also make him more likely to see seventh and eighth inning duty. Francisco's batted ball profile slants heavily toward allowing flyballs, so he's likely to yield a few more homers than his groundball inducing contemporaries, but that's little reason to shy away from him at his current going rate in drafts. Those who like to wait on their closers should scoop up Francisco; his talent should allow him to post respectable ratios and strikeout numbers while compiling saves, unlike the typical late closers drafted just for saves (see: Fernando Rodney). Recommendation: Should be owned in all league formats. Carlos Carrasco | Cleveland | SP | 2 percent Yahoo! ownership | MDC Index 252 2010 Stats: 2 W, 3.83 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 7.66 K/9, 2.71 K/BB, 56.8 GB OLIVER: 7 W, 4.82 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 7.1 K/9, 2.09 K/BB After a solid finish to his 2010 season, Carrasco (one of the pieces in the thoroughly underwhelming Cliff Lee package of 2009), is poised to start the season in the Indians rotation. Ranking as the top prospect in the Phillies farm system according to Baseball America in both 2007 and 2008 and the No. 2 prospect there in 2009, he certainly has the tools scouts look for in a successful major league hurler. To date, consistency has been Carrasco's undoing, but last season saw him string together a full season of solid performance spent in both Triple-A and the majors. In 44.2 major league innings last year, Carrasco demonstrated all the controllable skills necessary for a potential breakout this season, posting a solid 7.66 K/9, a 2.82 BB/9 and a superb 56.8 percent groundball rate. Armed with a four-pitch mix that includes a fastball that averaged 92.9 mph, a slider, curveball and change-up, he has the goods to face a lineup multiple times through and get hitters of each handedness out. If he has a little more BABIP and HR/FB luck, Carrasco is capable of posting an ERA in the vicinity of his 3.55 xFIP last year, which coupled with his stellar strikeout rate makes him intriguing and a prime candidate to outperform his current draft slot, in 2010 Gio Gonzalez fashion. Ryan Raburn | Detroit | 2B/OF | 75 percent Yahoo! ownership | MDC Index 265 2010 Stats: .280/.340/.474, 410 PA OLIVER:.274/.335/.472, 554 PA After a torrid finish to the 2010 season (.315/.366/.534 with 13 home runs in 251 at-bats post-All-Star break), Raburn is slated to see full time a- bats starting in left field for the Tigers. Thanks to playing 18 games at second base, Raburn makes for a sneaky solid play there or at middle infield. With a strikeout rate of 24.8 percent last year and a .333 BABIP, he may see his average drop a bit below last year's .280 mark, unless he can cut back a bit on the strikeouts or continue to post a higher than average BABIP (his career mark is .330 in 1,079 plate appearances, so certainly possible). Regardless, he shouldn't be an anchor on average and offers 20-plus home run power potential at a power-devoid position. With the return of a healthy Magglio Ordonez and the addition of Victor Martinez, Raburn looks primed to slot second in the Tigers order. Hitting second should allow him to accumulate a ton of plate appearances and with it a healthy number of counting stats. While I'd be a bit uneasy with Raburn as my starting second baseman without a solid backup plan, he is a well above-average target as a middle infielder. He's a good gamble for those not looking to pay a position-scarcity draft tax on the upper echelon second base options but looking for a potential big payoff a la Kelly Johnson of last season. Recommendation: Should be owned in all league formats. Tsuyoshi Nishioka | Minnesota | 2B/SS | 67 percent Yahoo! ownership | MDC Index 280 2010 Stats: .346/.423/.482, 692 PA (Japan's Pacific League) OLIVER: .285/.343/.400, 623 PA A bit of an unknown, but eligible at both second base and shortstop in Yahoo!, Nishioka (who shall affectionately be referred to as Yoshi going forward in honor of this character), presents a rock-solid gamble at his current draft position. The Japan Pacific League 2010 batting champ with a .346 average also possesses a solid eye with 79 walks in his 692 plate appearances helping him reach base at a .423 OBP. It remains to be seen how his average and on-base skills translate to the majors, but if he's able to get on at a healthy clip, he looks to be a decent speed and runs scored source, He stole 22 bases last year and 26 in 2009 (though also caught stealing 21 times over the same time frame, so he'll have to shore up the success rate if he expects to be given the green light regularly). Playing at Target Field, and having a career high of 14 home runs in a season in Japan, means his modest power is likely to be muted for the most part. Those looking for insurance at either second base or shortstop, or the truly Recommendation: Should be owned in all but the shallowest of league formats given the dearth of talent at second base and shortstop. Jake Peavy | Chicago (AL) | SP | 72 percent Yahoo! ownership | MDC Index 314 2010 Stats: 7 W, 4.63 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 7.82 K/9, 2.74 K/BB, 40.6 GB OLIVER: 9 W, 3.79 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 8.3 K/9, 2.84 K/BB With each hurdle Peavy clears in his recovery from surgery to reattach the latissimus dorsi muscle, one should expect to see his draft stock rise. With a chance to break camp on the major league squad, and thus not open the year on the disabled list, and reported velocity readings in his first spring training action hovering in the low 90s, he presents a calculated risk with significant upside. There is, however, significant downside as well. The surgery he had is unprecedented for a starting pitcher, so how he holds up remains to be seen. Also, before the injury last year, Peavy wasn't his typical brilliant self, posting a 7.82 K/9 (still solid but more than a full strikeout down from his career mark) with a rather grotesque 4.63 ERA (4.08 xFIP so he wasn't that bad, but still not vintage Senior Circuit Peavy). Keep tabs on him as your draft approaches, and if he continues to suffer from no setbacks, consider him a solid upside pick for a team with solid rotation depth. Recommendation: Should be owned in most 12-team or larger mixed leagues, should be owned in all AL-only leagues. Erik Bedard | Seattle | SP | 16 percent Yahoo! ownership| MDC Index Outside the top 386 players indexed 2010: Injured OLIVER: 6 W, 4.06 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 8.0 K/9, 2.23 K/BB Bedard missed all of the 2010 season, and hasn't topped 100 innings pitched since his last year in Baltimore in 2007. To say he's been a monumental bust in a blockbuster deal made under Bill Bavasi's helm would be an understatement. All that said, none of that affects his potential fantasy impact in the 2011 season, and I remain intrigued. Signed to an incentive-laden contract this offseason to remain in Seattle, Bedard should be aided by pitching his home games in a ballpark, SAFECO Field, that suppresses home runs significantly. Owning an 8.77 K/9 and a 3.88 xFIP for his career, Bedard presents a worthwhile $1 gamble in auctions or a late-round stab in the dark in snake drafts. For comparisons sake, I'd rather select Bedard than fellow American League West injury rebound candidate Brandon Webb. Recommendation: Should be owned in some 12-team mixed leagues and most larger mixed leagues, should be owned in all AL-only leagues. Jake McGee | Tampa Bay | RP | 17 percent Yahoo! ownership | MDC Index 345 2010:1.80 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 10.80 K/9, 2.00 K/BB, 54.5 GB OLIVER: 4.41 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 8.1 K/9, 1.93 K/BB Armed with a hellacious fastball and what FanGraphs identifies as a slider, and The 2011 Baseball America Prospect Handbook describes instead as a power curve, McGee looks ready to claim the closer role in Tampa Bay. Also in competition for ninth inning duties are Kyle Farnsworth, he of the wilting in high leverage situations mold, Joel Peralta, and perhaps J.P. Howell when he is healthy enough to pitch. None of them has the upside and talent of McGee, who ranks as the No. 4 prospect in the Rays' loaded farm system, according Baseball America. In 621 minor league innings pitched, much of which came as a starter (129 games started of 140 games pitched) he has embarrassed hitters with a 10.44 K/9. His lack of a developed third pitch should be a non-issue in the bullpen, but if he's able to further develop his change-up to even an average offering, consider that one more bullet to toss into his arsenal. With the Rays' pipeline of starting pitching prospects rather deep, it appears McGee's future lies in the pen. With that in mind, now is as good a time as any to let the closer of the future earn the job now. Even if he opens the season in a closer-by-committee, or in a setup role, his juicy strikeout rate and helpful ratios make him rosterable until he is slamming the door in ninth innings. Recommendation: Should be owned in all league formats. Posted by Josh Shepardson at 6:20am (2) Comments Monday, March 21, 2011Preparing for the THT Fantasy draft"Pitching backwards" works in fantasy, tooIt's now 9:20 AM on Monday, March 14. In a little under 12 hours, the 12-team THT Fantasy auction draft will begin, a draft that will surely be the most difficult in which I have ever participated. What follows is my preliminary plan of attack. My sincere hope is that, by outlining my thought process, I can help our readers improve their own pre-draft preparations. Part two, which will cover the results of the draft, may provide an object lesson in how to alter your strategy mid-draft. Hopefully it will not be a "What not to do" type of affair. One thing to remember, for all my planning below, it is of paramount importance that you be willing to throw everything aside at a moment's notice. Flexibility is crucial in executing an auction draft. I have competed against "experts" before, but rarely more than a handful at a time and never from a group of guys that know so much about my approach to fantasy baseball. Jeff Gross will probably be the most difficult to draft against, since we have talked strategy on countless occasions, and he knows nearly all the guys on my "Gotta Have It" list. Of course that runs two ways, as Jeff's going to have a hell of a time snatching his favorite players with me hanging around. The best part about this challenge is that it gives me an opportunity to innovate. First, let's identify the idiosyncrasies of the league's settings. The stat categories are standard roto, which makes player valuation a straightforward affair. The first wrinkle to be noticed is the auction budget relative to the number of players kept. The standard auction draft on Yahoo! is 23 players deep with a $260 budget. Our league is 27 players deep with the same $260 budget. Owners who apply a heavy stars and scrubs approach are going to find themselves woefully understaffed. I will be searching for value in the middle of tiers rather than paying premiums for the guys at the top or bottom. The second wrinkle worth discussing is the position player categories. We are to employ one catcher, the normal array of infielders along with a generic middle infielder and corner infielder, four outfielders, and two utility men. Often these sorts of deep roster leagues use two catchers, which can make acquiring a couple elite options very valuable. I love to stockpile scarce positions, but in this sort of league, catcher is much easier to ignore. The double utility slot really gives us a wide variety of options. We can go heavy on top-of-the-order, high-average, stolen-base, and runs-scored threats, we can load heavy on middle-of-the-order first basemen (up to four first basemen can be started at once), or we can opt for a more balanced approach. My preliminary plan is to combine a speedy, high-average outfield with as many as four mashing first basemen. The last non-standard setting is the 1550 innings pitched limit, which is higher than the typical 1400-1450 limit. This does help decide how the bench slots should be used. To compete in wins and strikeouts will require at least five-and-a-half starting pitchers, or about 1150 innings pitched. That number of starters also requires five-and-a-half relievers. We have nine roster spots for pitching and five bench slots. It appears as though I will target five of each type of pitcher while cycling through the waiver wire options for the eleventh pitcher. That will leave three bench slots for position players. Now is the point where I consider my opponents. I know they will employ a wide range of strategies and techniques, but I also suspect they will all be fairly orthodox. They will be focused on acquiring scarce positions and filling out their categories, especially batting average, power, and speed. While my fellows are singularly focused on building a solid lineup, I will focus on elite pitching with the goal of acquiring two starting pitchers who will provide close to 480 innings of low ERA and WHIP with a high strikeouts-per-nine innings ratio. Hopefully a mid-tier bounce-back candidate like Dan Haren will prove to be a bargain, and, if I'm lucky, I will have plenty of money left to add my favorite breakout targets, Jhoulys Chacin and Gio Gonzalez. They are both pretty popular these days, so I am fully prepared to miss out on both of them. I am expecting myself to spend about $80 on my five starting pitchers. Elite starting pitching is not the end of this strategy. Elite relievers are required to complement this approach. My goal is to acquire three, preferably Heath Bell, Joakim Soria, and Andrew Bailey, although I am under no illusions that my league mates will allow that to happen. Next I would target a more part-time closer who will save some games but is not likely to hurt my ratios like Brandon League or Jake McGee. My last reliever will be the best $1 Mike Adams type that comes my way. Final expected cost for relievers is around $45. Typically, pitching takes about 30 percent of an owner's budget. I am planning to use just shy of half of mine. For this plan to work, it is essential that I take down at least 55 of the 60 possible points in pitching categories. In a competitive league like this, 90 points has a good chance of winning the league, which means that I am still aiming at fielding a slightly-above-average offense with a fraction of the budget. Offensively, my plan is to price enforce early. I tend to find that one or two high-level players wind up on my team via this method. My hope is to generally allow my opponents to bruise their budgets on the top tier of fielders and then swoop in for some mid-round bargains. With luck, that will lower the cost of elite pitching, too. My final strategy is to accept defeat when it comes to my sleepers. Too many people in our league are in love with the Danny Espinosas and Ryan Raburns of the world. My plan is to nominate those guys early and often rather than sitting on them. With luck, a few bidding wars will price them out over $10. I will also be throwing out an assortment of elite, non-closer relievers, hoping to bloat one or more rosters in the process. This is an extremely risky strategy, a real boom-or-bust plan of attack. We'll see how things look later tonight. The aftermathThe problem with a strong plan is that sometimes you become too attached to it. As much as I preach flexibility, I squandered a few prime opportunities by sticking to my original plan. I spent $131 on pitching and $129 on position players. Ultimately, I am fairly pleased with the results, even if the roster is a little ugly. I was one of the kings of dollar days, which allowed me the veritable pick of the litter near the end. Still, some more interesting players left the draft board after my roster was full, like Michael Pineda. You can find the results here in this google spreadsheet. My team, Tagg Bozied Spray, is listed first for convenience. A quick perusal through the league results will show that there was more than a little irrational exuberance at the top of the draft, leaving huge value in the middle and end rounds. As you can see, I stuck closely to my draft plan, selecting Felix Hernandez and Jon Lester in the early stages, although I went a little over budget by paying $59 for the pair. Thankfully, I was able to add a $17 Zack Greinke to the mix along with two of my favorite cheap starting pitchers, Chacin and Erik Bedard. Greinke was the first guy who went puzzlingly cheap, and for a moment I was worried that his rib injury had worsened when nobody overbid my $17 price enforcement. I will remain on the look out for a sixth starting pitcher via the waiver wire or trade. I only need about 100 innings pitched out of whomever I find. I combined that potentially devastating rotation with seven relievers. I paid entirely too much for Heath Bell, but all things considered, I can accept the outlay for such a stable relief ace. Joakim Soria, Jonathan Broxton, Joel Hanrahan, Huston Street, Andrew Bailey, and Chris Sale round out my pen. We can only actually play six relievers at a time, which makes Bailey's impending trip to the DL acceptable. I did not have anything better to do with my dollars at the time, so if Bailey bounces back from his injury quickly, it will have been a great investment. I see it as a no-risk, high-reward situation. Broxton and Hanrahan are risky given my stated desire to score at least 55 of 60 possible pitching points. That pair could really mess with my ratios even as they buff my strikeouts per nine. I am inclined to sit the pair while I evaluate them. With Broxton in particular, I should be able to learn a lot from just a few PITCHf/x charts. I think my pitching unit has the potential to do exactly what I set out to do. Wins will be the hardest category to compete in given that I only feature five starting pitchers with only one guy expected to win 20 games. For now, I will have to hope that the Mariners offense can provide timely support for Hernandez and Bedard. Even with a rash of injuries, saves are in the bag, and I should have an early advantage in Ks, ERA, and WHIP. I think I could honestly win all four categories. On the hitting side of the ledger, my unit is pretty boring. Price enforcement won me Kendrys Morales, Alexei Ramirez, Billy Butler, Colby Rasmus, Freddie Freeman and Geovany Soto. In retrospect, I would have preferred to spend the money I used for Ramirez, Rasmus, and Huff on Prince Fielder and a pair of cheaper guys. The group is really lacking in stolen bases, such that the category is almost a straight punt right now. But I think batting average could prove to be a strength, and home runs, RBI, and runs have middle-of-the-pack upside. With a well-placed free agent addition or trade, I could probably scrape up the 35 points I expect will be needed to win the league. I learned two lessons from this little endeavor. First, when I identify a peculiarity in the league's settings that I can leverage, I must follow through. Specifically, I knew owners would run out of money early, leaving huge values behind. I should have left Bell and Hernandez behind and instead targeted some cheaper values later while pumping the excess into my position players. A third high-quality first baseman or a steals-oriented outfielder would have made wise targets. The second lesson, which is related to the first, is to look past the position rushes. I should have been able to identify that Jered Weaver would be available for under $20, a more attractive option than Hernandez at $31. Doing so would have enabled me to overpay at one of the more scarce positions, where I should have noticed that similarly respectable alternatives would dry up much sooner. By way of conclusion, I hope my journey from the planning stages through the end of the draft has been helpful. My goal is not to recommend an unconventional strategy or to tout my own team, but to share a glimpse into the kinds of processes a successful auction drafter should be following. Questions, comments, concerns, critiques, and more are all welcome. Posted by Brad Johnson at 5:11am (6) Comments Post-hype sleeping beautiesMy favorite part about writing fantasy articles is that I get a chance to examine players on several different levels. I get to look over guys that I have almost forgotten about. Nothing is more satisfying in this game we play than discovering diamonds in the rough, and there’s no greater place to find these “diamonds in the rough” than in the category of post-hype sleeper. We all have to be careful in handing the keys over to post-hype sleepers because, by definition, they hold an incredible amount of risk. There’s always a definite chance for a post-hype sleeper to disappear and become a quadruple-A player or utility man with no serviceable quality to offer your team, and yes, Alex Gordon is on this list. Alex Gordon: Gordon still wanders the grounds in Kansas City with a George Brett-shaped cloud hanging over his head. At one time, many, including myself, were heralding Gordon as the great hope for a desperate Royals franchise. He had all the offensive tools of a No. 1 overall pick and appeared to be a future star. He parlayed his collegiate success into a 2006 Double-A season that saw him smack 29 homers, steal 22 bases, and rake in a .325 batting average. That’s really where the fantasy hype machine began to billow out Rookie of the Year projections for the 2007 season. Heck, our own Hardball Times' writers touted him as the best rookie hitter in the game. Instead, Ryan Braun fulfilled the prophecy meant for Gordon. Braun is being crowned the future of Major League Baseball, and Gordon is not really being “proclaimed” at all. The main reason for Gordon’s struggles in 2007 circled around his diminishing walk rate, his skyrocketing strikeout rate, and his vanishing power. Oftentimes in 2007-08, he looked overmatched at the plate, a shell of the 2005 Golden Spikes winner. Sure, he hit double-digit home runs and steals, but he always left us wanting more. Every year since 2006, some expert has jumped on the back of Gordon to explain this is the year he finally shows us what he’s made of. Now Gordon has made a new name for himself and carved out a new position in left field. Gone are the experts, gone are the expectations, and most of all, gone is the Royals’ patience. With Mike Moustakas, Lorenzo Cain, and Eric Hosmer knocking on the major league door, the pressure is on for Gordon to succeed immediately. I’m rooting for you, Alex. My faith in your talent is still there, and I know the stats you are amassing in meaningless spring training games truly lie within your skill set (spring stat line: .349 ave. / 3 HR/ 13 RBI in 43 AB). Chris Davis: I don’t think any player in all the years I have been playing fantasy baseball had as much hype around him as Davis did in 2009. He was on everybody’s cheat sheet as a power monger with potential for a .300-plus average from the hot corner. He is scarily similar to Mike Stanton for all you Stanton fans out there. He flashed incredible power in his cup of coffee in 2008 (17 HR in 295 AB), but people dismissed his 88/20 strikeout-to-walk ratio as an acceptable part of his prodigious power profile. They were wrong. In 2009, Davis struck out 150 times in 391 AB. I don’t even have to research any other players to know that was the highest K/AB ratio in the majors. He hit .238 but still bopped 23 home runs. The power is real, but the hype was proving to be premature. Now it’s 2011, and the Rangers have already pronounced Mitch Moreland their starting first baseman and Michael Young the designated hitter. Without a home, the trade rumors have begun to flutter about in the desert, and most believe Davis will be moved sometime during the season. Is Davis a quadruple-A player? His 2010 stats suggest just that, but if given the right opportunity, 2011 could be the year Davis recognizes some of that potential (spring stats: .409 ave./ 4 HR/ 14 RBI and a better strikeout rate of 20%, which is good for him). I think he should be a definite speculative add in AL-only leagues, and with a trade could actually bring loads of power to a fantasy team looking to use a bench spot on a sleeper. Just remember that you can’t accumulate stats if you’re not playing in the game. Justin Smoak: Smoak and Davis are somewhat intertwined. As Davis’ star was fading, the hype surrounding Smoak was really just beginning. Out of the University of South Carolina, Smoak was seen by many scouts as a future Gold Glover at first base. He was a switch-hitter that showed advanced patience and maturity. Many scouts thought he was major league ready right out of college. While his glove appears more than capable, his bat has been lacking over his past two big league seasons. Without a playing time excuse, Smoak has had every chance in Texas and Seattle to show his patient, mature approach; however, the batting eye many had prognosticated about was missing in action. He’s striking out too often and can find himself pressing way too much to generate power. When it all comes together for Smoak, he is going to be a dangerously good baseball player. I still think there lies a .300-plus average hitter with 25-plus HR power. It might be time to invest in Brandon Belt over Smoak, but for those desperate enough, Smoak could be a serious contributor as soon as this year. For one buck, I would buy just about anything, and I’m buying Smoak—but only for a dollar. Homer Bailey: Everyone knows Bailey. His name alone has drawn loads of attention around the game. About the time of the Alex Gordon love fest, Bailey saw his popularity peaking as well. Most baseball scouts were salivating over his mechanics and potential front-end-of-the-rotation skill set. Armed with a dancing fastball that sits in the low 90s, Bailey had become a fantasy darling come draft day 2008. Too bad for his owners, he would struggle through the 2008 and 2009 seasons, plus the first part of 2010. With young guns like Travis Wood and Mike Leake, 2010 saw the Reds now in a position to give up hope on Bailey, but Dusty Baker wasn’t ready yet. Bailey rewarded that confidence with a 2010 mid-August recall that yielded a 3.55 ERA and a tremendous reversal in his walks. He gave us a glimpse of what he is capable of. Bailey seems to be realizing his potential as a 150-plus strikeout pitcher. In 2011, he seems to be set as either the fourth or fifth starter for the Reds and could be a game changer if he puts it all together and continues to control the strike zone. Chase Headley: Headley was always seen as a brainy, intense ballplayer that could hold his own on the diamond. In 2008, his stock soared. The prior season Chase was able to blast 20 homers, hit .357, and post a remarkable .249 isolated powr (ISOP) for Double-A San Antonio. Most believed he would become a mid-teens power hitter that profiled as a possible batting champion. Well, from 2008-2010 Headley has yet to bring that profile to the major league level. After struggling to hit above .260 over the past three years, most experts and fans alike have written Headley off as more of a better real-life player than a fantasy one. The winds of change are now swirling in San Diego, as well as here at THT, as even Jeff Gross gave him a waiver wire shout out this past week. But the most interesting part for me is that I differ with Gross in that I don’t see Headley as a double-digit home run/steals guy that hits .260-plus. I see him as a future .300-plus batting average guy with double-digit home run/steals potential. That change in projection completely alters his value. After a hot spring that has seen him post a .433 batting average (in a very small sample size, of course), I’m beginning to wonder if it’s time to start expecting that .300-plus average in 2011. Posted by Ben Pritchett at 5:12am (11) Comments Tuesday, March 22, 2011Time to panicExcitement, nervousness and maybe even a bit of panic have begun to set in. Sunday was the first official day of spring and as of today my official draft day countdown sits at four. I have literally prepared for this draft for the past five months, yet still sit here wondering what else is there that I could do to feel at ease? I’ve gone over every team’s 40-man roster and depth charts extensively, countless times. Still, maybe there is a sleeper hidden someplace that I haven’t looked yet. I’ve looked and relooked at the career stats and profiles of over 700 players. Yet somehow, I still have that feeling that there are things I haven’t noticed. Maybe if I had paid more attention last year, I would’ve noticed what a monster Jose Bautista was in September 2009. I may have combined that with the knowledge that he had a full-time job coming out of the spring and even was going to lead off for the Jays to begin the season. Still, with all of these factors pointing in his direction, he wasn’t even on my radar last year. Every mammoth homerun that Bautista swatted last season was a constant reminder that I needed to improve my research before 2011. While no one could have predicted that he would hit 54 home runs last year, the indicators were there that he had solid power potential and the path to a full-time job for the first time in his career. I’ve developed an inordinate amount of draft plans, yet still am not entirely sure on which direction to go when my name is called at pick 12, let alone in round two at pick 19. I’ve tried to look at every possible angle and develop contingency plans depending on every possibility that could happen in the first 10 rounds. I know in which tier I am looking for players at each position, how I want to build my rotation, where my closers will be drafted and what kind of power/speed combo that I need to roster. Having the ability to stick to this plan during the draft, yet still being somewhat flexible is a delicate balance. From the 12th spot, this will mean finessing players at the short end of the snake. With only six picks between my selections on the short end, I need to pay extremely close attention to how the teams in slots 13-15 are building their roster. Can I start a run on closers in round five and then grab one of the outfielders that I'm looking at in round six? Or if these teams appear to be short on outfielders and speed themselves, I have to take the outfielder first and the closer on the way back around. You have to think of every possible scenario and strive to plan your moves numerous rounds ahead of time. I’ve studied four main event drafts from this past weekend in Las Vegas and averaged them together to get a way more realistic ADP showing current trends and where players are actually being selected. I know who my sleepers are and what round I need to take them in to assure that they end up on my roster. The other people in my league aren't guppies though, and will undoubtedly be armed with the same data. I have to make sure not to let my emotions get the best of me if one of my targeted sleepers gets drafted the pick before mine. I need to maintain my composure and stick to the contingency plans that I have so carefully crafted and laid out beforehand. I learned last year that drafting too many players with injury concerns can derail your season before it even gets going. I have spent countless hours researching injuries and player durability. Players with serious injury concerns are in red on my draft board and under no circumstances will I be taking them. I understand that there is a luck factor associated with this, but avoiding these players will give me an added advantage over the field. Albeit a small one, I will gladly capitalize on any advantages that I can find. To the naked eye of the observer, it seems like I would be ready for this draft. However, even as I sit here writing this article the pressure continues to mount. Maybe I take this hobby too seriously, but I don’t want it to just be a casual hobby. I aspire to be the best, and my extreme competitive nature only fuels this desire. I compete in the NFBC because I want to play against the best players in the world. To measure my skills in drafting and team construction against 389 other people who love and respect this game as much as I do. Next week, I will do an in depth breakdown on how my draft turned out for you fine folks. Until then, I need every waking second to squeeze in as much information as I possibly can and too look under every rock to find the next Jose Bautista. Posted by Dave Shovein at 1:07am (7) Comments Thursday, March 24, 2011Oh, roster, my rosterMy home league is a 6x6 Roto league with holds as the extra pitching category and walk-to-strikout ratio as the extra batting category. We’re allowed up to four keepers at the cost of up to the first four picks. This year I elected to keep no one, but there were a few teams that had maneuvered last season with trades to get a nice selection of keepers. With holds counted, pitching is deeper since set-up men also have value. With BB/SO counted, players like Kevin Youkilis get a boost in value at the expense of guys like Ryan Howard. Adam Dunn goes from rather solid and predictable to somewhat risky. He used to post a solid BB/SO rate, but last season his rate sunk. Since he strikes out so often, even small changes in his ratio can have big changes in a team’s overall numbers. With that in mind, here’s my draft from this year, with the round in which each player was selected shown after his name. I had the sixth pick in a 12-team league. We drafted on Sunday, March 13, so Kendrys Morales' setbacks hadn’t occurred yet. I’ve listed the lineup I would set it if Opening Day was today. C Geovany Soto - 12 1B Ryan Howard - 3 2B Rickie Weeks - 9 3B David Wright - 1 SS Jose Reyes - 2 CI Edwin Encarnacion - 22 OF Matt Kemp - 4 OF Coco Crisp - 14 OF Rajai Davis - 10 OF Manny Ramirez - 17 DH J.D. Drew - 25 P Jered Weaver -5 P Tommy Hanson - 6 P Colby Lewis - 11 P Jonathan Broxton - 13 P Jonny Venters - 15 P Kyle Farnsworth - 16 P Drew Storen - 18 P Gavin Floyd - 20 P Jon Rauch - 24 Reserves: Zack Greinke - 7 Kendry Morales - 8 Dexter Fowler - 19 Bobby Jenks - 21 Joel Peralta - 23 Mike Aviles - 26 J.J. Hardy - 27 Bud Norris - 28 Minors: Mike Minor Danny Espinosa Some comments: Top offense players were scarce in the draft as many of them were kept. Because of this, for instance, Alex Rodriguez was chosen as the last pick in the first round. This scarcity forced me to reach a bit with Reyes. Also, most of the top first basemen were kept. By my first-round pick, the best remaining first base boppers were Howard and Justin Morneau. So I went with Howard, but that forced me to be especially cognizant of batting average and BB/SO for the rest of the draft (neither Reyes nor Wright help with the latter, either). I think I’ve setup my starting pitching with three great strikeout pitchers. Obviously, Greinke will miss some time, but I was willing to take that hit in the seventh round. Bud Norris is the kind of upside player that is worth a late-round flyer: he already has shown some elite skills and is going to get plenty of time to figure out the rest. All my closers have tenuous grips on their positions, but many of my setup men (Venters, Jenks) may see some save opportunities, too, so I should get some scoring out of all them throughout. I’m particularly happy with Encarnacion in the 22nd round. I wanted a corner infielder to back up Morales, and I can move him to DH when Morales gets healthy. As I see it, the most important thing about Encarnacion is that he’ll be batting in the heart of the order, which will help his RBI and Runs totals. Actually, lineup positions were a point of emphasis for me throughout the draft. Brett Gardner went ridiculously high (fourth round). In Davis, I got a player much later who has the same speed and is going to get at least 10 percent more at-bats as long as he bats leadoff. Same with Coco Crisp. In fact, the only players I have that will probably bat lower than fifth are Drew and Soto. Even Aviles as my backup second baseman bats should bat leadoff. Please, let the comments fly. Posted by Jonathan Halket at 5:12am (7) Comments 2011 Tout Wars mixed: Team CartyLast weekend, I traveled to MLBAM's offices in New York to participate in Tout Wars. This is my second year in the Tout Wars mixed league, and I think I came away with a pretty good team. The setup is a 15-team, 5x5, roto-based mixed league with a $260 budget. Tout Wars Mixed Roster+-----+--------------------+-------+ | Pos | Player | Price | +-----+--------------------+-------+ | C | Mike Napoli | $20 | | C | Ryan Doumit | $2 | | 1B | Luke Scott | $3 | | 2B | Aaron Hill | $13 | | 3B | Jose Bautista | $27 | | SS | Tsuyoshi Nishioka | $9 | | CI | Juan Uribe | $9 | | MI | Ryan Theriot | $9 | | OF | Mike Stanton | $20 | | OF | Juan Pierre | $16 | | OF | Vladimir Guerrero | $16 | | OF | Adam Lind | $13 | | OF | Bobby Abreu | $10 | | UT | Denard Span | $11 | +-----+--------------------+-------+ | SP | Colby Lewis | $9 | | SP | Ted Lilly | $9 | | SP | James Shields | $7 | | SP | John Danks | $6 | | SP | Ricky Nolasco | $5 | | CL | Joe Nathan | $11 | | CL | Jose Valverde | $10 | | CL | Joel Hanrahan | $13 | | CL | Frank Francisco | $4 | +-----+--------------------+-------+ | BN | J.D. Drew | -- | | BN | Phil Coke | -- | | BN | Chris Capuano | -- | | BN | Justin Duchscherer | -- | +-----+--------------------+-------+ ThoughtsI think I did a pretty good job accomplishing what I wanted. I found last year that the top stars all went for a lot of money. Yes, they're supposed to, but I feel like most cost $10 more than fair value. And since I don't like paying fair value to begin with —I try to fill 80-90% of roster with players I consider bargains —these kinds of players just weren't appealing to me. Sure, you can get away with a stars and scrubs approach in a mixed league (Andy Behrens basically did stars and scrubs last year when he won the league), but I don't think it's necessary in order to win and think it's actually sub-optimal. I did end up leaving $9 on the table and, in retrospect, could have gotten another hitter in the $20s or a better second catcher. It's always hard to judge an auction like this, though, especially when you see so much inflation early. You don't want to overpsend too much in the early going, but you also don't want to end up having money left over. Facing inflation, my plan was to wait a while before buying too many players and eventually buying the guys I did get at big bargains, and I ended up doing that. Some came at much bigger bargains than expected, though, which left me with extra cash. Juan Pierre, for example, went for $16 when other speedsters like Ichiro Suzuki ($25), Jacoby Ellsbury ($25), and Rajai Davis ($20) went for a lot more. I also saved on my closers, who I thought would be in the $12-$13 range, and on Colby Lewis and Ted Lilly, who I thought would be around $15 and $12. And my final pick, Frank Francisco, went for $4 when most closers went for double digits (even Brandon Lyon went for $13 just 20 minutes prior). Concluding thoughtsThat wraps things up for now. Let me know what you think of my team in the comments. Tomorrow, be on the lookout for an article comparing my team to Paul Singman's team in the Yahoo! Friends & Family expert league, and be sure to vote for who's team you think is better (hint: mine). Posted by Derek Carty at 5:14am (6) Comments Friday, March 25, 2011Introducing The 2011 THT Fantasy LeagueIt took a flurry of emails, a slight change in participating personnel, and plenty of draft day rescheduling, but the inaugural THT Fantasy fantasy baseball league is drafted and ready for opening day! The league is composed of 12 participants—11 THT writers (including Oliver's creator, Brian Cartwright) and Dave Chenok, the winner of the THT Fantasy "Compete Against The Experts" competition. We are playing in a 5x5 standard (HR, SB, R, RBI, AVG, K, ERA, WHIP, W, SV) rotisserie league. Each team has a 27-man roster composed of C, 1B, 2B, SS, 3B, CI, MI, 4 OF, 2 UTIL, 3 SP, 2 RP, 4 P, 5 BN (2 DL). There is a 165 games-played cap and a 1,550 innings pitched limit. After the trade deadline (Aug. 14), a weekly transaction limit will be installed to deter streaming (I trust the integrity of all, but am a skeptic of systematic incentives inherent in Yahoo's soft innings pitched cap). The auction draft took place on the evening of March 14, each player with $260 to his name. It took a little over four hours, but what follows is the result of overspending by all. Seriously, look at some of the prices on the top talent! But first, before we get into the murky roster details, let's present the current League Constitution. League constitutions are an important and overlooked contract among league members that can easily avert in-season disputes through a little preseason diligence. If you establish rules early, especially in controversial areas such as trading and trade vetoes, you can avoid the flame wars of May-September. My league constitution addresses only two key issues, but other issues such as collusion and its consequences should be addressed as well. Suggest additions (or changes, I suppose) in the comments below by writing your own rules for review. TRADING RULE: As you can probably tell, we are a very pro-market, low-micromanagement league. On to the rosters: Name: Jeffrey Gross (aka The King of Dollar Days) Team Name: Jeters Never Prosper Number of years playing fantasy: Five Number of fantasy leagues for 2011: Six Amount Of Cash Left On Table: $0 Best $1 pick: Either Michael Pineda or Edwin Encarnacion Roster C: Joe Mauer ($27) 1B: Adam Dunn ($21) 2B: Gordon Beckham ($10) SS: Hanley Ramirez ($55) 3B: Aramis Ramirez ($10) CI: Edwin Encarnacion ($1) MI: Derek Jeter ($19) OF: Alex Rios ($22) OF: Hunter Pence ($17) OF: Ben Zobrist ($11) OF: Omar Infante ($1) UTIL: Brian McCann ($17) UTIL: Franklin Gutierrez ($1) SP: Tommy Hanson ($16) SP: Dan Haren ($13) SP: Francisco Liriano ($11) RP: Brandon League ($2) RP: Alexei Ogando ($1) P: Mike Adams ($2) P: Michael Pineda ($1) P: Scott Baker ($1) P: Kyle Drabek ($1) BN: Jesus Montero ($1) BN: Grant Balfour ($1) BN: Tim Stauffer ($1) BN: Dallas Braden ($1) BN: Domonic Brown ($1) __________________________________________ Name: Paul Singman Team Name: The Jalopys Number of years playing fantasy: Five Number of fantasy leagues for 2011: Six Amount Of Cash Left On Table: $0 Best $1 pick: Ike Davis Roster C: Mike Napoli ($4) 1B: Miguel Cabrera ($45) 2B: Rickie Weeks ($20) SS: Ian Desmond ($7) 3B: Casey McGehee ($8) CI: Ike Davis ($1) MI: Aaron Hill ($10) OF: Matt Kemp ($30) OF: Andrew McCutchen ($31) OF: Mike Stanton ($21) OF: Drew Stubbs ($15) UTIL: Jose Tabata ($8) UTIL: Travis Snider ($7) SP: Shaun Marcum ($9) SP: C.J. Wilson ($3) SP: Ricky Nolasco ($4) RP: Leo Nunez ($6) RP: Ryan Franklin ($3) P: James Shields ($3) P: Trevor Cahill ($6) P: Frank Francisco ($4) P: Kyle Farnsworth ($2) BN: Coco Crisp ($4) BN: Jason Bay ($4) BN: Andrew Torres ($2) BN: Koji Uehara ($1) BN: Ricky Romero ($2) __________________________________________ Name: Dave Chenok Team Name: Schilling and Pence Number of years playing fantasy: Seven Number of fantasy leagues for 2011: Five Amount Of Cash Left On Table: $12 Best $1 pick: I guess that would be Soriano handcuffing Mo. As Leona Helmsley famously said, $1 picks are for the Little People. Roster C: Carlos Ruiz ($1) 1B: Adrian Gonzalez ($48) 2B: Ian Kinsler ($28) SS: Jose Reyes ($27) 3B: Ryan Zimmerman ($38) CI: Adam Lind ($4) MI: Yunel Escobar ($3) OF: Shin Shoo Choo ($28) OF: Nick Markakis ($6) OF: Rajai Davis ($4) OF: Vernon Wells ($4) UTIL: David Ortiz ($5) UTIL: Magglio Ordonez ($5) SP: Chris Carpenter ($8) SP: Tim Hudson ($3) SP: Brett Myers ($2) RP: Jonathan Papelbon ($4) RP: Mariano Rivera ($12) P: John Danks ($2) P: Francisco Rodriguez ($5) P: Chris Perez ($4) P: Kevin Gregg ($2) BN: Luke Scott ($2) BN: Jason Bartlett ($1) BN: A.J. Burnett ($2) BN: Rafael Soriano ($1) BN: Daniel Bard ($2) __________________________________________ Name: Brad "I told everyone my strategy in advance" Johnson Team Name: Tagg Bozied Spray Number of years playing fantasy: Six Number of fantasy leagues for 2011: Four Amount Of Cash Left On Table: $0 Best $1 pick: Erik Bedard Roster C: Victor Martinez ($17) 1B: Billy Butler ($15) 2B: Kelly Johnson ($8) SS: Alexei Ramirez ($21) 3B: Chipper Jones ($3) CI: Kendrys Morales ($23) MI: Howie Kendrick ($3) OF: Torii Hunter ($4) OF: Bobby Abreu ($4) OF: Aubrey Huff ($5) OF: Colby Rasmus ($11) UTIL: Chris Coghlan ($4) UTIL: Logan Morrison ($3) SP: Felix Hernandez ($31) SP: Jon Lester ($28) SP: Zack Greinke ($17) RP: Heath Bell ($17) RP: Joakim Soria ($12) P: Jhoulys Chacin ($7) P: Erik Bedard ($1) P: Huston Street ($4) P: Jonathan Broxton ($6) BN: Joel Hanrahan ($3) BN: Chris Sale ($1) BN: Andrew Bailey ($4) BN: Geovany Soto ($5) BN: Freddie Freeman ($2) __________________________________________ Name: Kevin Cearnal Team Name: hoagies-N-grinders Number of years playing fantasy: Eight Number of fantasy leagues for 2011: Five Amount Of Cash Left On Table: $1 Best $1 pick: Brian Matusz Roster C: Kurt Suzuki ($2) 1B: Ryan Howard ($40) 2B: Robinson Cano ($40) SS: Jimmy Rollins ($24) 3B: Mary Reynolds ($13) CI: Martin Prado ($8) MI: Chone Figgins ($4) OF: Justin Upton ($21) OF: Michael Bourn ($4) OF: Corey Hart ($8) OF: Carlos Quentin ($2) UTIL: Adam LaRoche ($2) UTIL: Brian Roberts ($4) SP: Ubaldo Jimenez ($18) SP: David Price ($19) SP: Matt Cain ($9) RP: Carlos Marmol ($15) RP: Evan Meek ($1) P: Josh Beckett ($4) P: Carlos Zambrano ($2) P: Tyler Clippard ($1) P: Jake Peavy ($5) BN: Nate McLouth ($3) BN: MIguel Tejada ($2) BN: Peter Bourjos ($2) BN: Manny Ramirez ($5) BN: Brian Matusz ($1) __________________________________________ Name: "Lord Voldemort" (aka someone from THT whose name we cannot legally reveal and henceforth shall be known as "he who shall not be named") Team Name: Jimmy Kabimi (editors note: his team name should be "As Good As It Getz") Number of years playing fantasy: Eight Number of fantasy leagues for 2011: Two Amount Of Cash Left On Table: $0 Best $1 pick: Well, I’ve only got five choices, which cuts the options down a little bit, but I loved getting Chris Getz for $1. I think he’s got a legitimate shot to become a league average second baseman who can provide lots of cheap steals. The RBI and homers won’t be there—and batting low in the lineup on the Royals won’t help that runs total—but he should have a playable batting average and a ton of speed. I’m targeting Getz as a high-priority backup option in all my leagues where I don’t get my top target at middle infielder. Sure, getting him for $1 is to be expected, but I think he’s going to turn some heads this season. His double-play mate, Alcides Escobar, comes in a very close second. He’s another cheap backup that I’m keeping tucked under the rug in all my leagues. However, I do not plan to play either Getz or Polanco at UTIL once the season starts. C: JP Arencibia $2 1B: Albert Pujols $65 2B: Chase Utley $17 3B: Michael Young $12 SS: Alcides Escobar $1 CI: Carlos Lee $8 MI: Sean Rodriguez $3 OF: Matt Holliday $32 OF: Jacoby Ellsbury $20 OF: Josh Willingham $2 OF: Garrett Jones $1 UTIL: Placido Polanco $1 UTIL: Chris Getz $1 SP: Josh Johnson $25 SP: Roy Oswalt $7 SP: Jered Weaver $15 RP: Joe Nathan $8 RP: Matt Thornton $6 P: Edinson Volquez $7 P: Jaime Garcia $2 P: Jeremy Hellickson $6 P: Craig Kimbrel $6 BN: Jose Valverde $4 BN: Jonny Venters $3 BN: David Aardsma $2 BN: Octavio Dotel $3 BN: (DL) Stephen Strasburg $1 __________________________________________ Name: David Wade (aka D-Wade) Team Name: The Gashouse Goons Number of years playing fantasy: Six Number of fantasy leagues for 2011: Two Amount Of Cash Left On Table: $0 Best $1 pick: Clayton Richard Roster C: Jorge Posada ($4) 1B: Joey Votto ($44) 2B: Dan Uggla ($21) SS: Elvis Andrus ($17) 3B: Evan Longoria ($46) CI: Mark Teixeira ($36) MI: Brandon Phillips ($16) OF: Jayson Werth ($26) OF: Nick Swisher ($4) OF: Curtis Granderson ($7) OF: Alfonso Soriano ($2) UTIL: Ian Stewart ($3) UTIL: Michael Cuddyer ($2) SP: Ryan Dempster ($5) SP: Ted Lilly ($3) SP: Jonathan Sanchez ($6) RP: Francisco Cordero ($3) RP: Brandon Lyon ($2) P: Jorge De La Rosa (3) P: Clayton Richard ($1) P: Derek Lowe ($1) P: Johnny Cueto ($2) BN: Sean Marshall ($2) BN: Brett Cecil ($1) BN: Homer Bailey ($1) BN: John Jaso ($1) BN: Lance Berkman ($1) __________________________________________ Name: Josh "Steal All Of Jeff's Players" Shepardson Team Name: Josh Shepardson Number of years playing fantasy: Eleven Number of fantasy leagues for 2011: Eight Amount Of Cash Left On Table: $0 Best $1 pick: Gavin Floyd Roster C: Carlos Santana ($23) 1B: Prince Fielder ($36) 2B: Ryan Raburn ($6) SS: Stephen Drew ($17) 3B: Adrian Beltre ($27) CI: Kevin Youkilis ($34) MI: Asdrubal Cabrera ($1) OF: Nelson Cruz ($29) OF: B.J. Upton ($12) OF: Chris Young ($10) OF: Denard Span ($2) UTIL: Pablo Sandoval ($15) UTIL: Johnny Damon ($1) SP: Cole Hamels ($18) SP: Brandon Morrow ($7) SP: Madison Bumgarner ($3) RP: John Axford ($5) RP: Aroldis Chapman ($3) P: Gavin Floyd ($1) P: Jake McGee ($1) P: Ian Kennedy ($2) P: Mike Minor ($1) BN: Johan Santana ($1) BN: Joel Peralta ($1) BN: Mike Moustakas ($1) BN: Desmond Jennings ($2) BN: Dustin Ackley ($1) __________________________________________ Name: Vince Caramela Team Name: Free Eric Duncan Number of years playing fantasy: Six Number of fantasy leagues for 2011: Two Amount Of Cash Left On Table: $0 Best $1 pick: Justin Smoak (I hope) Roster C: Buster Posey ($25) 1B: Justin Smoak ($1) 2B: Juan Uribe ($2) SS: Troy Tulowitzki ($52) 3B: Alex Rodriguez ($37) CI: Pedro Alvarez ($8) MI: Reid Brignac ($1) OF: Carlos Gonzalez ($45) OF: Jay Bruce ($26) OF: Grady Sizemore ($6) OF: Dexter Fowler ($1) UTIL: Julio Borbon ($1) UTIL: Matt Joyce ($1) SP: Ervin Santana ($2) SP: Wandy Rodriguez ($5) RP: J.J. Putz ($4) RP: Brian Fuentes ($1) P: Yovani Gallardo ($16) P: Phil Hughes ($7) P: Brett Anderson ($6) P: Clay Buchholz ($6) BN: Russell Martin ($1) BN: Eric Hosmer ($1) BN: Russell Branyan ($1) BN: Derek Holland ($1) BN: Kevin Jepsen ($1) BN: Hiroki Kuroda ($2) __________________________________________ Name: Joe Dimino Team Name: Vive Les Expos Number of years playing fantasy: Seventeen Number of fantasy leagues for 2011: Four Amount Of Cash Left On Table: $0 Best $1 pick: I had 13 of them, so a lot to choose from. Probably Raul Ibanez, Bronson Arroyo or Alexi Casilla. Roster C: John Buck ($1) 1B: Derrek Lee ($3) 2B: Tsuyoshi Nishioka ($7) SS: Rafael Furcal ($7) 3B: Scott Rolen ($1) CI: James Loney ($1) MI: Alexi Casilla ($1) OF: Carl Crawford ($47) OF: Ryan Braun ($46) OF: Ichiro Suzuki ($19) OF: Shane Victorino ($13) UTIL: Brett Gardner ($12) UTIL: Juan Pierre ($7) SP: Cliff Lee ($28) SP: Tim Lincecum ($31) SP: C.C. Sabathia ($22) RP: Matt Capps ($1) RP: Jason Motte ($1) P: Travis Wood ($1) P: Jeff Niemann ($1) P: Jonathon Niese ($1) P: Bronson Arroyo ($1) BN: Carlos Beltran ($3) BN: Austin Jackson ($2) BN: Yadier Molina ($1) BN: Kenley Jansen ($1) BN: Raúl Ibañez ($1) __________________________________________ Name: Brian Cartwright Team Name: Ollie’s Northmen Number of years playing fantasy: Zero (fantasy virgin) Number of fantasy leagues for 2011: One (this league) Amount Of Cash Left On Table: $0 Best $1 pick: David DeJesus Roster C: Matt Wieters ($10) 1B: Lyle Overbay ($1) 2B: Dustin Pedroia ($34) SS: Alex Gonzalez ($1) 3B: David Wright ($43) CI: Danny Valencia ($2) MI: Mike Aviles ($1) OF: Jason Heyward ($29) OF: Delmon Young ($13) OF: David DeJesus ($1) OF: Nyjer Morgan ($1) UTIL: Will Venable ($2) UTIL: Tyler Colvin ($1) SP: Mat Latos ($21) SP: Clayton Kershaw ($26) SP: Roy Halladay ($33) RP: Brian Wilson ($13) RP: Luke Gregerson ($3) P: Matt Garza ($5) P: Chad Billingsley ($8) P: Hong-Chih Kuo ($2) P: Edwin Jackson ($1) BN: Kila Ka’aihue ($5) BN: Cameron Maybin ($1) BN: Wade Davis ($1) BN: Jair Jurrjens ($1) BN: Anibal Sanchez ($1) __________________________________________ Name: Ben "Too Good To Fill Out His Own Survey" Pritchett Team Name: Natural Born Slugger Number of years playing fantasy: Twelve Number of fantasy leagues for 2011: Five Amount Of Cash Left On Table: $3 Best $1 pick: John Lackey (unless, of course, Alex Gordon quits Delwyn Younging it and starts Delmon Younging it) Roster C: Miguel Montero ($4) 1B: Justin Morneau ($26) 2B: Danny Espinosa ($10) SS: Starlin Castro ($9) 3B: Jose Bautista ($30) CI: Carlos Pena ($3) MI: Neil Walker ($6) OF: Josh Hamilton ($37) OF: Andre Ethier ($21) OF: Angel Pagan ($5) OF: Adam Jones ($3) UTIL: Paul Konerko ($13) UTIL: Vladimir Guerrero ($3) SP: Justin Verlander ($24) SP: Max Scherzer ($12) SP: Jordan Zimmerman ($5) RP: Fernando Rodney ($3) RP: Neftali Feliz ($12) P: Brad Lidge ($4) P: Daniel Hudson ($6) P: Gio Gonzalez ($6) P: Colby Lewis ($4) BN: Marlon Byrd ($1) BN: John Lackey ($1) BN: Drew Storen ($6) BN: Javier Vazquez ($1) BN: Alex Gordon ($1) __________________________________________ The rosters noted, here are a few of the more substantial moves made in the league thus far (trades and preseason free agency moves of consequence):
Now that you have the information, give us some feedback. Who drafted the best/worst teams? What were the best/worst picks in your opinion? What trades and free agency picks were the best for who and why? Shouldn't Josh Shepardson just finally trade me B.J. Upton already or whatever? As always, sound off the love/hate in the comments below! Posted by Jeffrey Gross at 12:22am (15) Comments 2011 Yahoo F&F League - Teams Singman and CartyOn Tuesday Derek and I traveled to our respective computers to participate in the Yahoo Friends and Family League draft. For me, it's my third year in the league and Derek is the newbie in the crowd, which consists of the seven main Yahoo experts, three Rotowire senior writers, one dynamic Razzball duo, and one Wall Street Journal contributor. Add Derek and me and you get the 14 members that comprise this mixed, rotisserie scoring league. The past two years I've finished in the respectable but unsatisfying position of fourth, so I'm looking forward to finishing above that this year. Below you will find my and Derek's rosters and after you will see a poll where you can pick whose team you like more.
Derek had the seventh pick and took Joey Votto in the first and I had the 10th pick and landed David Wright. The link containing the full draft results can be found here, to give you some added perspective beyond just our teams. Don't forget to vote in the poll and share your thoughts on why Derek's team is so bad in the comments. {exp:freeform:form form_name="player_poll_decnineonine" notify="cowchow4you@gmail.com" required="player" prevent_duplicate_on="ip_address"} Whose team is more likely to win? | ||||
