Fantasy Surgeon

2008 Fantasy Baseball - 5 Outfielders who were left from each position's Top 5

2008-02-18T14:42:00.000-08:00

2008 TOP 5 FANTASY OUTFIELDERS WHO FEEL LEFT OUT!

The compiled list below consists of 5 outfielders who just didn't quite make the Top 5 list of their position. They have been calling me to complain why they were left off and I feel bad so I decided to include them in my blog. These guys are still top notch and if you have the chance to claim them come draft day, they will write you a thank you note!!

#1 - Torii Hunter (CF) - 2007 Stats
600 AB's, .287 AVG, 94 Runs Scored, 172 Hits, 45 Doubles, 1 Triple, 28 HR's, 107 RBI's, 18 Stolen Bases & 40 Walks.

#2 - Carl Crawford (LF) - 2007 Stats
584 AB's, .315 AVG, 93 Runs Scored, 184 Hits, 37 Doubles, 9 Triples, 11 HR's, 80 RBI's, 50 Stolen Bases & 32 Walks.

#3 - Corey Hart (RF) - 2007 Stats
505 AB's, .295 AVG, 86 Runs Scored, 149 Hits, 33 Doubles, 9 Triples, 24 HR's, 81 RBI's, 23 Stolen Bases & 36 Walks.

#4 - Jeff Francoeur (RF) - 2007 Stats
642 AB's, .293 AVG, 84 Runs Scored, 188 Hits, 40 Doubles, 0 Triples, 19 HR's, 105 RBI's, 5 Stolen Bases & 42 Walks.

#5 - Ken Griffey Jr. (RF) - 2007 Stats
528 AB's, .277 AVG, 78 Runs Scored, 146 Hits, 24 Doubles, 1 Triple, 30 HR's, 93 RBI's, 6 Stolen Bases & 85 Walks.

Mixed Outfielder Notes:
Torii Hunter - After 10 full seasons in the bigs, he has a par average of .271, but he still manages to be very damaging at the dish. He has been traded now to a team that should benefit him greatly. The Angels are a sweet offensive squad and he should fit very nicely in the heart of their line up. I still am unsure where he will hit in the order but he will be surrounded by some people with some speed and pop. Chone Figgins will most likely lead off and players like Gary Matthews Jr., Vladimir Guerrero, Garret Anderson, Casey Kotchman, Howie Kendrick & Torri should put up some great numbers in a division that they are expected to crush. Hunter has hit 23+ HR's in all of his last 7 seasons (except in '05 when he was sidelined for half of the season). He does tend to strike out a lot, but that should not scare you off from drafting him in early rounds. Expect 100 runs scored, 100 RBI's, 20 stolen bases, 40 doubles and 25+ jacks in 2008.

Carl Crawford - He turns the pivotal 27 in 2008! Another guy who likes to swing and miss a lot, but at least he is very aggressive with his attempts at the plate. He has hit .301 or higher in each of his last 3 seasons and has a lifetime AVG or .296 in 5 full seasons in the show. His power #'s aren't the best, but he will steal many bases and stretch lots of singles into doubles and doubles into triples. Last season he only managed 9 triples but in each of the three seasons before '07 he hit 19, 15 & 16 three baggers. He has hit 11+ HR's in each of the last 4 years and will always work pitchers and catchers and the base paths. In every season he has played in, he has swiped 46+ bags. His team's lineup is quite potent and he should be able to have a nice breakout year in 2008. Carlos Pena, B.J. Upton, Akinori Iwamura, Johnny Gomes, Rocco Baldelli & Evan Longoria will be a sleeper offensive squad and could really light up the AL in 2008. I can easily see Carl scoring 100+ runs and be close to having 200 hits in '08. Draft him with a smile!

Corey Hart - A name that many people still aren't in tune with. Corey arrived heavily on the scene last season and has now cemented his starting job for the Brew Crew in Right Field. The 2008 Brewers City squad will be a force to recon with. A fantastic lineup with many up and coming stars will make Corey hart a household name soon. Corey will either lead off or hit second and if he gets on base, most of the time he will score. In 500 AB's in '07 he was able to smack 24 dingers. He also will steal some bags as last year (24) and will most likely increase that # to over 30 in 2008 as his AB's will increase by about 100 plate appearances. Also, because he will get many more at bats, figure he should be able to blast 30 shots as well. Expect a 175 hits season, .300 AVG, 100 runs scored, 100 RBI's and 10 triples in 2008. He is a genuine sleeper for many fantasy owners but the ones who really do their homework will know his value. What will benefit him the most is his stacked lineup of Rickie Weeks, Bill Hall, J.J. Hardy, Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder (the newly turned vegetarian) and the new addition, Mike Cameron.

Jeff Francoeur - He is only 24 and has shown he is a player who is very talented in scaring opposing pitchers. The only drawback is that he will strikeout a lot. He is a very aggressive swinger and puts the ball in play hard. His average continues to get better and he has hit over 100 RBI's in two solid seasons in the bigs. He will either hit 5th or 6th for the Braves and should have enough runners on base to hit over 100 RBI's again in 2008. His line up is one that will continue to score runs and give fits to managers of all teams that play them. Players like Brian McCann, Mark Teixeira, Chipper Jones, Matt Diaz, Yunel Escobar & Kelly Johnson will make the Braves a team that will put up many runs by either playing small ball or just by smacking the ball out of the park. I expect their lineup to be: 1 - Johnson, 2 - Escobar, 3 - Jones, 4 - Teixeira, 5 - McCann, 6 - Francoeur & 7 - Diaz. He will see many great pitches to hit as runners will be on base and Matt Diaz provides a significant amount of protection so that pitchers have to come to Jeff. There is plenty of upside with Francoeur and you should be very excited if you get him come draft day.

Ken Griffey Jr. - We all know he is the man! The only factor is his health. He has been playing for 18 seasons now and last year he maintained his health for the first time since the 2000 season. He played in the most games since '00 and in his last 3 healthy seasons he has hit 27+ blasts. He will always have a presence at the plate because at any time he can hit one out. He has no speed left but did manage to take 6 bags in '07. That was the most he has taken since the 2000 season which should show owners that his hammys are healthy and he will get time off to make sure he can complete another season in full. He has some nice pieces in their lineup that will provide protection and also base runners to get across the plate. Expect 100 RBI's, 25+ HR's, 30 Doubles and a .275 average in 2008. Be aware that he is always a player who could get hurt, so if you draft him, make sure you get a backup that could provide you a starting spot if he goes down.

Check back soon for the top 5 rookies who will roam the outfield in 2008.

2008 Fantasy Baseball Right Fielders - Top 5

2008-02-08T15:27:00.000-08:00

2008 TOP 5 FANTASY RIGHT FIELDERS

The top two are definitely in their own tier. No one on the list comes close to their on the field performance but this position is starting to be filled with up and coming stars. The right field position could be one of many break-out players in '08 as the youth has taken over in a position that is usually dominated by seasoned veterans. If you are unable to draft Magglio or Vladimir, don't you worry one bit; if you study up, review the stats and see what might be in store for '08, you should be able to uncover many diamonds in the rough. Many players could have been on the top 5 and the ones who made it are guys that I think are ready to become household names by seasons end.

#1 - Magglio Ordonez - 2007 Stats
595 AB's, .363 AVG, 117 Runs Scored, 216 Hits, 54 Doubles, 0 Triples, 28 HR's, 139 RBI's, 4 Stolen Bases & 76 Walks.

#2 - Vladimir Guerrero - 2007 Stats
574 AB's, .324 AVG, 89 Runs Scored, 186 Hits, 45 Doubles, 1 Triple, 27 HR's, 125 RBI's, 2 Stolen Bases & 71 Walks.

#3 - Brad Hawpe - 2007 Stats
516 AB's, .291 AVG, 80 Runs Scored, 150 Hits, 33 Doubles, 4 Triples, 29 HR's, 116 RBI's, 0 Stolen Bases & 81 Walks.

#4 - Nick Markakis - 2007 Stats
617 AB's, .300 AVG, 97 Runs Scored, 191 Hits, 43 Doubles, 3 Triples, 23 HR's, 112 RBI's, 18 Stolen Bases & 61 Walks.

#5 - Alexis Rios - 2007 Stats
643 AB's, .297 AVG, 114 Runs Scored, 191 Hits - 43 Doubles, 7 Triples, 24 HR's, 85 RBI's, 17 Stolen Bases & 55 Walks.

Center Fielder Notes:
Magglio Ordonez - What a season in '07! It will only get better in 2008 as this team is ready to ignite the Motor City. Many think "Maggs" is overrated, and if you look into his stats you should be able to dispel that opinion immediately. What is there not to like? In 10 full seasons in the show, he has a .312 average...not too shabby for an overrated player. He doesn't strike out much and he also doesn't like to walk much either (86 K's in '06 & 76 Walks in '07 tops his #'s for career). 7 of the 10 seasons he has played in, he has hit 24+ jacks. If it wasn't for a collision with Willie Harris on a pop up in '04, those HR #'s would be even more appetizing. The collision put Maggs on the DL twice and after two surgeries to fix his left knee, he found his way in Detroit becoming one of the premier Right Fielders in the game. 6 out of the 10 seasons he has put up great RBI #'s as well. In '03 he almost hit the century mark with 99, but in 6 other seasons he has topped 104 RBI's. His '08 lineup is stacked and his fantasy #'s should be top five in the game by seasons end. Maggs should hit over .333, have 20 + HR's, score 100 + times and drive in 100 runs in what could be a historic year for the Tigers.

Vladimir Guerrero - Just like Maggs, this guy doesn't like to walk or strike out much either. Vlad is one of the best bad ball hitters in the game and merely enjoys putting the bat on the ball to see what happens. In 11 full seasons, Vlad has maintained a .325 lifetime average. He has also hit over 25+ bombs in each of the last 10 years. He is a complete masher and has put up 108+ RBI's in 9 of his 11 seasons as well. Vlad is a well tuned machine and rarely gets sidelined or sent to the DL. The only thing that is starting to fade with Vladimir is his speed. He still can swipe a bag here and there and the Angels are one of the best teams in baseball going from first to third. Maggs and Vlad are pretty even when it comes to the draft board and you can't go wrong with snagging these guys with your first pick. I expect to see Vlad's HR's increase in '08 and with that said he should hit .325 and drive in 125+ runs. He plain out scares pitchers as he hits every ball well and has even been known to drive balls out of the park that are barely off the ground by an inch. He is the complete opposite of what coaches teach hitters about plate discipline, but not a one would ever change his approach as he is the cream of the crop.

Brad Hawpe - 28 years old going into his fourth season and his #'s continue to get better by the year. He does however do very poorly against southpaws. In '07 he hit only a measly .214 against lefties. Brad's career average in 3 seasons also is just about par, .282. 2007 was his coming of age (turned 27 in '07) and many think that Hawpe will just get better and better by the year as playing in Colorado should help his numbers tremendously. The Rockies are one of the top offenses in the NL and he should see many good pitches to hit as the bases should always be occupied by fellow Rocks who hit before him in the lineup. The power #'s just keep getting better for the 28 year old as his HR's keep rising every year he has been in the bigs. Many fantasy owners will overlook him and if you are able to steal him in the draft, you should be rewarded by your pickup. Expect 30+ HR's, 100+ RBI's and if he can smooth out his attempts against soutpaws his average will most likely get more around the .300 mark in 2007. If you draft him you will also have the only player in the league whom has a sweet middle name of Bonte!

Nick Markakis - It is always said that a players second year is effected by the "sophomore slump", this was definitely not the case for Nick. He was better in his second year than his first and this shows that he should have no problems in continuing to be a difficult out for opposing pitchers. 2007 showed fantasy owners that he is here to stay and that he has all the tools to impress for many years to come. He has a knack for finding the gaps as he is one of the best doubles hitters in the game. Nick is fleet of foot and should also see an increase of triples in '08. Ones who can swipe bags are also a nice pickup in fantasy leagues, especially if they hit for average and power as well. He will get over 600 AB's in 2008 as he tops the lineup for the O's and with getting closer to 200 hits in a season should see a lot of scoring opportunities. The only draw back is that the O's offense should be crippled a bit with the loss of Miguel Tejada. The O's offense isn't one that will put up stellar #'s but Nick will be an all star in 2008 and should also be one for your fantasy squad. Many owners are still not aware of his potential and a middle round draft pick up should not be hard to pull off. Expect a quiet .300 average, 20 HR's, 100 RBI's, 20 stolen bases and 100 runs scored for Nick in '08. He is only 24 and will be a top 5 pick up for right fielders for many years to come.

Alexis Rios - Rios turns the mighty maturing 27 on President's day and should blossom as a speedy, power player entering his prime. He is also a name that will go mainly unnoticed by owners who haven't done their homework. His speed at the top of the Jays order should get him across the plate over 100 times this year. He could be a leadoff hitter but his power fits nicely as a 3 or 4 hitter as Vernon Wells and Reed Johnson will most likely spark the bases to start the season. 2008 will be the year of Rios as I expect him to explode on the scene early in the season and will be drafted high for many years to come after '08. He will steal the occasional base and the Jays will have to get runners in motion to compete with the division they are stuck with. The Blue Jays have the potential to compete with teams like the BoSox and Yanks if all parts fall into place. The first 6 hitters, however they pan out in the batting order, will put up many runs and have lots of power mingled in between. Reed Johnson, Vernon Wells, Alexis Rios, Scott Rolen, Frank Thomas and Lyle Overbay will most likely be mixed in 1-6 and player like David Ekstein, Rod Barajas or Gregg Zahn will have many opportunities to drive in runs for a much underrated offense. Draft him and you should see why I ranked him about players like Jeff Francoeur, Ken Griffey Jr., Corey Hart and Bobby Abreu.

Check back soon for the top 5 outfielders who were left off the initial position lists and following that, I will list the 5 top rookies to target who play in the outfield as well.

2008 Fantasy Baseball Center Fielders - Top 5

2008-01-31T11:15:00.000-08:00

2008 TOP 5 FANTASY CENTER FIELDERS

"Put me in coach, I'm ready to play...today, look at me, I can be... centerfield!" When I think of baseball, that song always comes to mind; that and "Take me out to the ballgame" of course. But when I started to think of the next post, which was the Center Fielders top 5, that song would not leave my head, thanks Fogerty! What an easy group of players to choose from, I had no problem sourcing my top five and if you have an issue with my decisions, please email me and I will help explain. I do think the best overall center fielder of my generation is Andruw Jones, but after last years collapse, I am scared to list him + the Dodger's Suck!!! Yes I am a true Padre Fan! On we go to position #8.

#1 - Carlos Beltran - 2007 Stats
554 AB's, .276 AVG, 93 Runs Scored, 153 Hits, 33 Doubles, 3 Triples, 33 HR's, 112 RBI's, 23 Stolen Bases & 69 Walks.

#2 - Ichiro Suzuki - 2007 Stats
678 AB's, .351 AVG, 111 Runs Scored, 238 Hits, 22 Doubles, 7 Triples, 6 HR's, 68 RBI's, 37 Stolen Bases & 49 Walks.

#3 - Grady Sizemore - 2007 Stats
628 AB's, .277 AVG, 118 Runs Scored, 174 Hits, 34 Doubles, 5 Triples, 24 HR's, 78 RBI's, 33 Stolen Bases & 101 Walks.

#4 - Curtis Granderson - 2007 Stats
612 AB's, .302 AVG, 122 Runs Scored, 185 Hits, 38 Doubles, 23 Triples, 23 HR's, 74 RBI's, 26 Stolen Bases & 52 Walks.

#5 - Aaron Rowand - 2007 Stats
612 AB's, .309 AVG, 105 Runs Scored, 189 Hits, 45 Doubles, 0 Triples, 27 HR's, 89 RBI's, 6 Stolen Bases & 47 Walks.

Center Fielder Notes:

Carlos Beltran - It has been said that the '08 Mets will be running a lot more and one to help with this duty is Beltran. The Mets have a fantastic offensive team and the top of the lineup will plate many runners with some heavy hitters in Delgado & Alou to do most of the clean-up work. Carlos sits nicely in the heart of the Metropolitans lineup and should have a terrific season. Being a switch hitter does nothing but help his value and a 100 run, 100 RBI's, 25+ HR season is on the works for this career .280 bat slinger. Carlos has hit 24+ HR's every year since '01 except in '05 when he only hit 16 jacks. In the last two seasons he has totaled 41 and 33 dingers and his round tripper total should stay around the 30 range. Even after slumping tremendously in May through June of 2007 (.230 in that time), Carlos still recorded a decent .276 average. He was not one to blame with the September collapse last year and if Delgado and Alou can return to their slugging ways, Beltran will be the #1 Center Fielder in '08. What is not to like with the Mets top 5. Reyes, Castillo, Wright, Beltran, Delgado & Alou should be an absolute force to recon with and opposing pitchers will have their work cut out for them.

Ichiro Suzuki - He would be #1 if he has more extra base hit power. Ichiro is a hit machine and has at least 200 hits in his 7 seasons playing ball in the US. In Japan, Ichiro recording a lifetime .353 average and in the US has just been a little more shabby by notching a .333. Most hitters dream of doing what he can and he gets plenty of chances as he had a whopping 678 plate appearances at the top of the Mariners lineup in 2007. Not only does he get on base, but he runs very well and forces outfielders to come up with the ball quickly as he will stretch many singles into doubles if they are on their heels. Every season in the bigs here in the states, he has scored 100+ runs as well. Not to mention he has at least 20 doubles every year too. He wont hit you many homers or drive in super #'s with his stick, but he is as consistent as they come. If Sexton, Beltre, Ibanez and Johjima do there share of the pulling; Ichiro will finish in the top three in fantasy points and who knows, he might even be at the top. Consistency matters and you can't lose in drafting the journeyman.

Grady Sizemore - Just like a fine bottle of wine, Grady increases his numbers every year and this could be the breakout season. The baseball world sees the 27 year old mark as the coming out season, and Grady still isn't quite aged yet, as he turns 26 in August. In 3 full seasons, he has recorded 22+ HR's, 111+ runs scored and has a nice .283 lifetime average. He is fleet of foot and should be able to steal around 25-30 bases in 2008. Last year he had a .390 on base percentage and that # will slowly increase as he gets more and more comfortable with the AL pitching. No longer will he have to worry about facing Santana with the recent move by him to the NL (that is if the Mets can get his deal done soon as many experts seem to think will happen anytime now). The Indians have a potent lineup with players like Victor Martinez, Travis Hafner, Jhonny Peralta, Casey Blake and the emerging Ryan Garko to bolster their lineup. They are one of the toughest crews for pitchers to face and Hafner should fall back into form giving opposing mangers a handful of headaches in '08. Sizemore should plate 100+ times, hit 20+ dingers, drive in 75+ runs and steal 25+ bases. Do not forget that he has a great eye for the zone as well as he walked 101 times in '07.

Curtis Granderson - The only reason why I am not completely sold on him yet as it was one terrific season that has catapulted him to being a premier center fielder. If he repeats what he did in '07, he might just be the best in the game but the only worry is his knack to strikeout. He has joined an elite group, or actually he is the only member of the 20/20/20 club (Triples, HR's & stolen bases, if you need a refresher course). Also, Curtis will be 27 for the '08 season and the Tiger faithful will most likely see the next Willie Mays in their 2008 lineup. I know you might think that a statement like that is outlandish, but wait and see. I have written plenty about of high I am on the Tigers offense and with that being said, Curtis is in store for a historic 2008 if all cards fall into place. Don't feel foolish to believe that he will score 120+ times, hit 20+ Doubles, 20+ Triples, 20+ HR's, steal 20+ bases and drive in 75+ runs in what could be the best offensive team in history. He will set the table, Polanco will move him around the bases and the rest of the slugging crew will do the cleanup. He is the best triples man in the game and as long as he can start to learn to make more contact, his average should slowly rise each year. Some do not care though as they feel if he does try to put the ball in play more, his power #'s will decline. This will be something to watch in 2008. Draft him and watch the points roll in on the Lake Michigan tsunami!

Aaron Rowand - A change of scenery will do this guy some good. He will have a lot of weight on his shoulders and will be the man in San Fran in '08. He has to and will most likely be the only shining star in this mediocre lineup. He and Bengie Molina have a lot to accomplish with the departure of Bonds (although Bonds still hasn't landed anywhere and who knows, he might not). The Giants don't want any part of Dr. Roids as they decided to put all their eggs in one basket by signing Rowand. Not only is his lineup skimpy, he now enters, what I think to be, the best pitching division in baseball. The things I do like about his new squad is that he has some members who get on base and therefore he should see some good RBI #'s. He has a fantastic swing and hits for above par average. He will not score 100 times in 2008 as he doesn't have the protection in Howard to help him out. He has great power alley prowess and if he can keep swinging a hot bat, he will have 120+ RBI's and could have 40+ Doubles & 25+ HR's come seasons end. If Dave Roberts, Omar Vizquel & Randy Winn do their job, Rowand will give the Giants fans something to cheer about; at least it won't be for a cheater.

Check back soon for the review of the Top 5 Right Fielders soon!

2008 Fantasy Baseball Left Fielders - Top 5

2008-01-23T16:43:00.001-08:00

2008 TOP 5 FANTASY LEFT FIELDERS

We now move on to the outfielders and we will start with left field. I apologize for the delay in posting as there was much to study as well as the beginning of each year is always a busy time! The Top 5 postings for outfielders will be a little different than infield postings; the top 5 will be posted for each of the three spots, then top 5 rookies and to round things off, the top 5 outfielders that did not make the initial list. So basically, after the next 5 posts you will have 20 top outfielders & 5 rookies/prospects that you can read up on. I decided to start in left for a couple of reasons: #1 it is the position that comes next, duh! #2 Matt Holliday is my #1 ranked outfielder of the draft in 2008. His numbers are gently rising each year and he can flat out hit. The Rockies have a very solid offensive squad and Holliday should be able to pull out a MVP in 2008. Lets get to it!!!

#1 - Matt Holliday - 2007 Stats
636 AB's, .340 AVG, 120 Runs Scored, 216 Hits, 50 Doubles, 6 Triples, 36 HR's, 137 RBI's, 11 Stolen Bases & 63 Walks.

#2 - Carlos Lee - 2007 Stats
627 AB's, .303 AVG, 93 Runs Scored, 190 Hits, 43 Doubles, 1 Triple, 32 HR's, 119 RBI's, 10 Stolen Bases & 53 Walks.

#3 - Alfonso Soriano - 2007 Stats
579 AB's, .299 AVG, 97 Runs Scored, 173 Hits, 42 Doubles, 5 Triples, 33 HR's, 70 RBI's, 19 Stolen Bases & 31 Walks.

#4 - Manny Ramirez - 2007 Stats
483 AB's, .296 AVG, 84 Runs Scored, 143 Hits, 33 Doubles, 1 Triple, 20 HR's, 88 RBI's, 0 Stolen Bases & 71 Walks.

#5 - Adam Dunn - 2007 Stats
522 AB's, .264 AVG, 101 Runs Scored, 138 Hits, 27 Doubles, 2 Triples, 40 HR's, 106 RBI's, 9 Stolen Bases & 101 Walks.

Left Fielder Notes:
Matt Holliday - Robbed of the MVP in 2007! He led the NL in average, hits, doubles and RBI's. I'm not saying that Jimmy Rollins had a bad season, but the Rockies wouldn't have been able to make the Series without Mr. Holliday. It was the closest MVP race since 1991, when Terry Pendleton edged out Dr. Roids (Bonds, like you needed the hint). In 4 seasons in the bigs, Matt has averaged a nice .319 and will get better in 2008. The last two seasons have been great in fantasy terms and he saw increased #'s in HR's, RBI's & runs scored. (2006 - 34 HR's, 114 RBI's & 119 runs scored. 2007 - 36 HR's, 137 RBI's & 120 runs scored.) He now has a fantastic #2 hitter in Tulowitzki in front of him and a table setter in Taveras to lead things off. Helton had an off year for his stats and the emergence of Atkins and Hawpe make the '08 Rockies an offensive force, not to mention getting to play in Coors Field. A 35+ HR, 125+ RBI, 45+ Double, 100 runs scored and .315+ average should be expected for this year and the next few to come.

Carlos Lee - "El Caballo" English for the horse (see Spanish to English dictionary) is exactly what he has been nicknamed! 24+ HR's in 8 full seasons & 30+ HR's in last 5. Four out of the last five years he has totalled 100+ RBI's (just missed in 2004 with 99). Also, he has racked up 35+ doubles in each of his last 5 seasons as well. The Stallion has a .288 career batting average and remains healthy year around even with his immense size! He gets to hit in the band box of Minute Maid park for his home games and has a nice potent lineup surrounding him. Hopefully Tejada stays out of roid fibbing trouble and Carlos mashes his way to a fantasy owners dream '08 season.

Alfonso Soriano - A member of the elite 40/40 club (only others are Arod, Dr. Roids & "King of Roids" aka Canseco). He was the first ever to be in the 40/40/40 club in '06 with 40 doubles on the list as well. He has averaged 34+ HR's in 7 full seasons, just under 40 Doubles (39.857) and 32 swiped bags a year. He sports a decent .282 career average and should see a potent 2008 if his hammy holds up. There are still some concerns about how that hamstring is after injuring it in 2007 but he has had some significant time to rest and has the gift a nice line up to pad his numbers. His stolen bases might slide in '08 but his line up should be able to plate him 105+ times in the 2008 season. With the newly acquired Fukudome, the beast at the hot corner ARam & hopefully a healthy D. Lee; Soriano should be able to put up numbers that will keep him in the elite left fielders.

Adam Dunn - A true eye for the plate, don't let the high strike out #'s fool you. He knows when to swing at strikes and usually lets bad pitches go. He will get 100+ walks every year due to his great discipline coupled with pitchers just wanting to stay away from his power. Adam is 28 years young and will continue to put up fantasic power numbers for many years to come. In each of his last three seasons he has hit exactly 40 bombs (26 in 2002 & 27 in 2003). He has also totalled 100+ RBI's in 3 of the last 4 seasons, just missing that mark with 99 in '06. His 40 dingers led all left fielders in 2007 and he will most likely lead in that stat category in '08 as well. He doesn't hit for good average, but when he makes contact he usually has warning track or better power as the #'s show. With Brandon Phillips coming into his own and Griffey still hitting well and being healthy, expect a very nice season from the big basher!

Manny Ramirez - ManRam is starting to get older but still can definitely crush. He is now the post season leader in HR's, taking the top during the '07 World Series Champ run. He is very clutch and the only drawback is his age. Manny has played in 13 full seasons and is 35 years old now. He suffered a strained oblique in late August of 2007 and it kept him out for most of September (24 games missed in that stretch). He did come back healthy and very strong for the post season to help the BoSox win another title. Last year was the lowest HR total in his career but he still has averaged 36+ HR's in his tenure. He also has a very respectable .313 lifetime average. ManRam hits 100+ RBI's year in and year out if you subtract two seasons where he fell short of the mark ('97 & '07 - 88 RBI's). Draft him and sit back and watch the points roll in. Manny is just being Manny!

The top 5 Center Fielders will be covered next! the post should come around early next week...lets hope!

2008 Fantasy Baseball Shortstops - Top 5

2008-01-13T20:55:00.000-08:00

Since when are the shortstops the most potent men in the lineup?? After doing my stat crunching I was truly amazed with the difficulty in determining who was going to top the list. Shortstops have now become the studs of the game and many of these guys will solidify fantasy teams throughout the nation. There are plenty guys who missed the list who should do great for fantasy owners. It was difficult to set these guys on a pedistal and the list might change quite a bit before the final baseball drafts come about. Massive amounts of hits, runs scored, homers and stolen bases flood this postion not to mention doubles & triples as well. This list should help you out some but I strongly reccommend to study your shortstops as there are many diamonds in the rough that you could sleep on come draft day!

2008 TOP 5 FANTASY SHORTSTOPS

#1 - Hanley Ramirez - 2007 Stats
639 AB's, .332 AVG, 125 Runs Scored, 212 Hits, 48 Doubles, 6 Triples, 29 HR's, 81 RBI's, 51 Stolen Bases & 52 Walks.

#2 - Jimmy Rollins - 2007 Stats
716 AB's, .296 AVG, 139 Runs Scored, 212 Hits, 38 Doubles, 20 Triples, 30 HR's, 94 RBI's, 41 Stolen Bases & 49 Walks.

#3 - Carlos Guillen - 2007 Stats
564 AB's, .296 AVG, 86 Runs Scored, 167 Hits, 35 Doubles, 9 Triples, 21 HR's, 102 RBI's, 13 Stolen Bases & 55 Walks.

#4 - Jose Reyes - 2007 Stats
681 AB's, .280 AVG, 119 Runs Scored, 191 Hits, 36 Doubles, 12 Triples, 12 HR's, 78 Stolen Bases & 77 Walks.

#5 - Derek Jeter - 2007 Stats
639 AB's, .322 AVG, 102 Runs Scored, 206 Hits, 39 Doubles, 4 Triples, 12 HR's, 15 Stolen Bases & 56 Walks.

Just missed the Top 5

Troy Tulowitzki - 2007 Stats

609 AB's, .291 AVG, 104 Runs Scored, 177 Hits, 33 Doubles, 5 Triples, 24 HR's, 7 Stolen Bases & 57 Walks.

2008's Top Sleeper

Yunel Escobar - 2007 Stats

319 AB's, .326 AVG, 54 Runs Scored, 104 Hits, 25 Doubles, 0 Triples, 5 HR's, 28 RBI's, 5 Stolen Bases & 27 Walks.

Shortstop Notes:

Hanley Ramirez - 24 years of age and he is becoming the top player throughout the league. Many feel like he is the #1 player in this year's draft and it is hard to be able to build a defense for saying he should not be. Hanley sits in the top 2 ranks of 4 of the main 5 fantasy categories for shortstops and he should just get better and better as he grows up. His 2007 stats were amazing and they could have been much better if he didnt miss a few games with shoulder issues. Orthoscopic surgery during the offseason should hold that shoulder in place for this season and beyond; and even with the left shoulder giving him problems for the last few seasons, he would be the last to say it has hindered him at all and his #'s speak for themselves. Against all players in his position, he was ranked #1 in average (tied with Renteria, .332), 2nd in runs scored, 2nd in homers, 2nd in stolen bases and 7th in RBI's. As long as he stay healthy, Hanley will become a household name by season's end. Don't be scared to draft him #1, #2 or #3 in your draft!!!

Jimmy Rollins - 2007 National League MVP and he still ranks under Hanley! 1st in dingers for shortstops, 1st in runs scored, 1st in triples, 3rd in stolen bases, 4th in RBI's and tied for 6th with average. The Phillies are a run scoring machine and Jimmy will set the table time and time again (that is if he is actually on base and is not crossing the dish from leading off with a blast!) Last year was his best season to date and he should see a little of a decline as it will be hard to duplicate those #'s in 2008. He should be good for 200+ hits, 125+ runs scored, 20+ homers and 15+ triples in '08. He will most likely be drafted in the top 5 and has earned this right as his #'s should tell you he is the real deal. The Phillies are so potent in their top 6 that increased #'s for Rollins are likely but I wouldn't bet on it.

Carlos Guillen - The Tigers growl is defintely as scary as their bite! This could be the most offensive squad in the history of the game. Take a moment and go through their lineup with me, as I see it as of today. Leadoff - Curtis Granderson, 2nd - Placido Polanco, 3rd - Miguel Cabrera, 4th - Magglio Ordonez, 5th - Gary Sheffield, 6th - Carlos Guillen, 7th - Edgar Renteria, 8th - Jacque Jones & 9th Pudge Rodriguez! ARE YOU KIDDNG ME!!! On paper, this team ranks as good as any ever played. Carlos Guillen might not be a household name now but if he hits like he has in the past 3 seasons (injury shortened 2005), he will accumilate massive fantasy #'s and you should be able to steal him away in round 3 (though some might see his potential and will draft him higher than that!) With Renteria now taking over the shortstop role, Carlos moves over to first base and he should have no problem mastering that postion immediately. With that being said, he can iron out the kinks in spring training and will be able to devote most of his thoughts to hitting in '08. He will see so many good pitches to hit that I sometimes think about drafting him in the first part of the second round! His projected #'s should be 100 Runs Scored, 15+ HR's, 100+ RBI's, 175 + hits and a solid .300 AVG. You might think that I am crazy projecting him above Reyes, but I will be due some praise come October, you will see!

Jose Reyes - STUD! 24 years old! Had an off season in '07 but should rebound nicely in 2008. I say off season, which in most peoples eyes was still electrifying. 78 Stolen bases, wow... we haven't seen basepath speed like that for sometime in the bigs. He is amazing to watch and had some declining #'s in the last month in a half of '07. His average dropped 20 points from 2006 and he might be more of a .285 hitter anyway. He burns up the basepaths and stretched singles into doubles and doubles into triples constantly. Last year he was projected as a top three pick and will not be drafted like that in '08. If he shows up again this year, you might just see him in the top five for many years to come. His team's knack to score runs is prevalent and as long as he hits 1st for the Mets, he will make any fantasy owner happy!

Derek Jeter - That lingering knee problem has scared me and I think it should make many owners think twice about wasting a high draft pick on him in 2008. The Yankee's medical staff declined knee surgery in the off season and that is a red flag that maybe he will have a abbreviated '08. Even though he hits smack dab in the middle of the Yankees line-up, he is getting up there in age and a trend is developing in his #'s. His power #'s are declining, his stolen base #'s have dropped dramatically but his average is starting to gain yearly. This is a true sign that he is shifting his game as he knows his prime has slipped away. He will put up great average #'s and will still be great defensively (not that we fantasy owners care one bit about defense!), but drafting him is a great risk but could be one with nice rewards. I could be wrong with the trend that I see, but he almost didnt make the top 5 and this is the first time that I haven't thought highly about the best shortstop in Yankee history! Lowest HR #'s since '97 & lowest runs scored total in 12 full seasons. The speed has dropped off and Jeter has become a well oiled singles machine!

Troy Tulowitzki - Runner up for National League Rookie of the Year, finshed just behind Ryan Braun. Tulos #'s were not as good as Braun's, but his defense was far superior...ow yeah we don't care about defense, sorry my bad! Tulo will have some great protection behind him named Holliday! Fast Willy Taveras will set the table for the Rockies in 2008 and will be on base plenty for Troy to bash him it. Tulo scored over 100 runs in 2007 and should pass that mark again. Do not be surprised if he hits 25+ bombs as well. He will get plenty of nice pitches to hit as opposing hill dwellers wont want to put extra runners on base for the heavy hitting 3, 4, 5 & 6 hitters to pound in (Holliday, Helton, Atkins & Hawpe). Sophomore slump might pop out it's groundhog head in Denver but Troy benefits from already being very sound at defense and will try to learn as mush as possible in the box. + the Rockies play in Denver last time I checked. + Troy has something to prove; that he is one of the newest stars in the shortstop crop and last year wasn't a fluke.

Yunel Escobar - The Braves must feel pretty comfotable with their young shortstop to trade away one of the best hitter's for average from last year in Renteria. The Cuban defector has been waiting for his chance to produce and will get it in 2008. In just over 300 AB's in the bigs in 2007, he was able to hit 25 Doubles and post a nice average . He has a great bat and should hit over .300 in '08. You might get 15 HR's out of him but the most impressive part of his game is his effectiveness to put the bat on the ball and find the gaps. He will be planted in a lineup that has some already great gap hitters and the '08 Braves could be a Sleeper squad to jump back in their division to claim the NL East once again. Expect 95+ runs scored, 15 + HR's and 45-50 Doubles in 2008. He is young (25) and will get every chance from Atlanta to produce.

Check back soon for the Outfield list. The top 15 will be covered and you do not want to miss the information collected for your assistance!

2008 Fantasy Baseball 3rd Basemen - Top 5

2008-01-07T16:23:00.000-08:00

One of the posts we all have been waiting for... THE HOT CORNER! I am sure we all know who will top the list as his 2007 season was spectacular, unless you are a Yankee fan and think he is still a bum. He doesn't like to shine in post season, but once again, this is fantasy who gives a hoot about post season unless it is yours. Fantasy is a 1 for all and all for 1 sport and these 3 baggers sure will put points on your bottom line. Hey New York fans, at least your third basemen are #1 and #2 this year in the ranks (at least the way I see it). Three of these guys make the top 5 year in and year out and the others will be here for some time as well. Enough blabbering, lets get to it!

2008 TOP 5 FANTASY 3RD BASEMEN

#1 - AROD (aka Alex Rodriguez) - 2007 Stats
583 AB's, .314 AVG, 143 Runs Scored, 183 Hits, 31 Doubles, 0 Triples, 54 HR's, 156 RBI's, 24 Stolen Bases & 95 Walks.

#2 - David Wright - 2007 Stats
604 AB's, .325 AVG, 113 Runs Scored, 196 Hits, 42 Doubles, 1 Triple, 30 HR's, 107 RBI's, 30 Stolen Bases & 94 Walks.

#3 - Miguel Cabrera - 2007 Stats
588 AB's, .320 AVG, 91 Runs Scored, 188 Hits, 38 Doubles, 2 Triples, 34 HR's, 119 RBI's, 2 Stolen Bases & 79 Walks.

#4 - Chipper Jones - 2007 Stats
513 AB's, .337 AVG, 108 Runs Scored, 173 Hits, 42 Doubles, 4 Triples, 29 HR's, 102 RBI's, 5 Stolen Bases & 82 Walks.

#5 - Ryan Braun - 2007 Stats
451 AB's, .324 AVG, 91 Runs Scored, 146 Hits, 26 Doubles, 6 Triples, 34 HR's, 97 RBI's, 15 Stolen bases & 29 Walks.

2008's Top Sleeper
Evan Longoria (Tampa Bay's Top Prospect)
This years Ryan Braun! That is all I will say. He doesn't have many stats of significance yet, but if you draft him, you will be looked at as a guru come season's end! Do not look for additional notes below, you won't find them. Evan will start opening day and Iwamura will have to be moved to 2nd base (barring injuries of course).

Just missed the Top 5

Garrett Atkins - 2007 Stats
605 AB's, .301 AVG, 83 Runs Scored, 182 Hits, 35 Doubles, 1 Triple, 25 HR's, 111 RBI's, 3 Stolen Bases & 67 Walks.

3rd Basemen Notes:
Alex Rodriguez - 275 Million + incentives (30 Million or so more). Arod has more hits than Pete Rose had at his same age, more HR's than Barry Bonds aka "*", more RBI's than Hank Aaron, and more runs scored than Rickey Henderson. He's only 32 years old and the way he is going, he will be the best player of all time when he hangs up the spikes! .306 Lifetime average in 13 full seasons. 35+ HR's and 100+ RBI's every year except for 1997 with the Mariners. Yankees have a lineup that is drunk with mashers and the headliner is AROD!

David Wright - 30/30 in 2007! Only Brandon Phillips, AROD and Barry Larkin have been able to achieve that feat for middle infielders {Braun to join them in 2008}. Fantastic line-up to hit in and was in the top ten for every offensive category except HR's (tied for 14th). He has hit 26+ dingers and has tallied 100+ RBI's in each of his three full seasons and has hit for nice average on top of that (.311 - 3 1/3 seasons). If his legs stay healthy, David will notch another 30/30 under his belt in '08! Not hard to do with Jose Reyes hitting in front of you and Beltran being your protection. Delgado had an off season and if he gets back to at least normal, Wright might score 120+ times as well!

Miguel Cabrera - 4 full seasons in the big show and he is only 24. He has switched leagues and has joined the scary, scary offensive Tigers of '08. He has hit 33+ HR's in 3 of his 4 full seasons and in the slumping year hit 26 (2006). He didn't have much lineup protection is 2006 but he was able to hit 50 doubles in the meantime. Has over 100 RBI's each season and will definitely hit 100+ again. .313 lifetime average is not too shabby either. As long as he keeps the weight off, he will be a top 5 third baseman for at least 5+ more years.

Chipper Jones - He's now 35, but don't even start to think he is aging. 13 full seasons under his belt and he has shown many Atlanta faithful how good he is from both sides of the plate. He has posted a .307 lifetime average and has hit over 21 blasts in each season (high of 45 in 1999). Him and Teixeira will crush opposing pitchers in '08 and 30 HR's and 100+ RBI's will happen. 2007 was his best year for average, .337 and his power numbers really didn't slide due to that. He has probably the best gap finding bat in baseball and would be a great addition to any fantasy team!

Ryan Braun - 2007 National League Rookie of the Year Winner! Amazing 2007 and it wasn't even a full one. Ryan was brought up last year to fill the void that Craig Counsell and Tony Graffanino had in the Brewers slugging line-up. The Brew Crew's Top Brass wanted to let him learn as much as possible in the minors but they knew they couldn't wait any longer. On May 25th, Braun was in the lineup against the Padres and never exited since. His numbers were simply amazing and he is one of the brightest younger players in the league. He hits for great average, has tremendous power, has above average speed and will most likely be a 30/30 guy in 2008. Don't be surprised if he hits 35+ homers and has at least 115 RBI's. The way he hit last year is a sure sign he is here to stay and probably will be a perennial all star as well. He wont be the first pick at third base but many will take him as the 2nd overall and it is not much of a gamble. The only reason he is ranked 5th is he has only 3/4 of a year experience in the bigs and might slump a little in his sophomore year.

Garrett Atkins - With 3 full seasons under his belt, Atkins is not a newbie anymore and will continue to post nice numbers for a third basemen. He's only 28 years old and has a very potent lineup surrounding him. Expect to see at least a .300 AVG, 25+ dingers, 100+ RBI's and over 90 runs scored in '08. With Tulowitzki, Holliday, Helton and Hawpe crammed in the top 5 or 6, the 2008 Rocks will put up some serious stats and Garrett should see his numbers blossom and he plays in Colorado which can "elevate" any one's stats.

Check back soon for the Top 5 2008 Shortstops soon!!

Is there a particular topic you want spotlighted??

2008-01-03T11:39:00.000-08:00

Hey all! If you would like for me to highlight some sort of fantasy topic, please shoot me an email and I will make it happen.

fantasysurgeon@yahoo.com

Thanks for reading,
Todd

2008 Fantasy Baseball 2nd Basemen - Top 5

2008-01-02T08:08:00.000-08:00

This years selection of quality second baseman are abundant. There are plenty players who are worth a good look and I think these guys should be a step above the rest. Only the first two will be taken high in drafts and I wouldn't waste a high pick on a second baseman anyway. This is one position where you can wait a little as others will do the same. If Chase or Brandon is hanging around in the 2nd or 3rd round, you might want to think about adding them! Other than that wait on your two bagger as you can always grab someone after you solidify your line-up. You will also see that I added in the runs category with the stats as well for the two baggers. This stat is more helpful with this position and was not needed for review with guys behind the dish and first baseman as they are obviously not guys you would rely upon for getting tons of runs plated.

2008 TOP 5 FANTASY 2ND BASEMAN

#1 - Chase Utley - 2007 Stats
530 AB's, .332 AVG, 176 Hits, 48 Doubles, 5 Triples, 22 HR's, 103 RBI's, 9 Stolen Bases, 104 Runs Scored & 50 Walks!

#2 - Brandon Phillips - 2007 Stats
650 AB's, .288 AVG, 187 Hits, 26 Doubles, 6 Triples, 30 HR's, 94 RBI's, 32 Stolen Bases, 107 Runs Scored & 33 Walks!

#3 - Robinson Cano - 2007 Stats
617 AB's, .306 AVG, 189 Hits, 41 Doubles, 7 Triples, 19 HR's, 97 RBI's, 4 Stolen Bases, 93 Runs Scored & 39 Walks!

#4 - B.J. Upton - 2007 Stats
474 AB's, .300 AVG, 142 Hits, 25 Doubles, 1 Triple, 24 HR's, 82 RBI's, 22 Stolen Bases, 86 Runs Scored & 65 Walks!

#5 - Dan Uggla - 2007 Stats
632 AB's, .245 AVG, 155 Hits, 49 Doubles, 3 Triples, 31 HR's, 88 RBI's, 2 Stolen Bases, 113 Runs Scored & 68 Walks.

2008's Top Sleeper
Howie Kendrick - 2007 Stats
338 AB's, .322 AVG, 109 Hits, 24 Doubles, 2 Triples, 5 HR's, 39 RBI's, 5 Stolen Bases, 55 Runs Scored & 9 Walks.

Just missed the Top 5
Placido Polanco - 2007 Stats
587 AB's, .341 AVG, 200 Hits, 36 Doubles, 3 Triples, 9 HR's, 67 RBI's, 7 Stolen Bases, 105 Runs Scored & 37 Walks!

2nd Basemen Notes:

Chase Utley - If it wasn't for that broken hand in late July of last year he would have had some monster stats to digest. He is the easy pick as #1 ranked second baseman and has hit 20+ HR's & tallied 100+ RBI's in each of the past three seasons. Last year he scored 104 runs and would of broken or tied his personal best of 131 if he wasn't put on the DL. He fits perfect in between last years MVP and the previous year's Ryan Howard. The top of the Phillies lineup is stacked and Utley will be the top two bagger for another season and many to come. He is so potent you might want to think about grabbing him in the late first round if some of the biggest bats have been gobbled up.

Brandon Phillips - There were two 30/30 guys in '07, Brandon and David Wright. Only two others even exist (Barry Larkin and AROD). His numbers were amazing and might be hard to reproduce. He is only 26 years young and should be able to put up another season of solid #'s and a hitter friendly home ballpark. He is ranked under Chase as he has only shown his skills for one full season. If he has another year like 2007, he will battle for the #1 ranked 2nd baseman in 2009.

Robinson Cano - Robinson (names after Jackie) was stopped early this year in winter ball so he can let his calf injury heal as he will be a big part of the Yankees line-up in 2008. He was sidelined for 6 weeks in '06 with a nagging Hamstring injury and the the last thing the Yankees want his him out of the starting crew. in three full seasons in the big show, he has averaged .314, 34 Doubles & 16 HR's. Cano is the only batter to be in the top 10 in doubles for both '06 & '07 in the American League. Being a member of the powerful Yankee line-up, he may very well establish himself as one of the best 2nd basemen in the game. A .300 average, 20 HR's and 100+ RBI's is not out of the question.

B.J. Upton - It has been reported that B.J. will start the season as the Rays (no longer the "DEVIL" Rays) center fielder. he will still be listed as a 2nd basemen in most formats and you should take advantage of your opposing GM's by stealing him in the draft. he was the 2nd overall pick in the 2002 draft and has potential of being another 30/30 guy. He has a tremendous amount of strikeouts, and also led MLB with average for balls put in play. This will probably dampen his average #'s a bit in 2008 but is very worthy of being the 3rd two bagger selected in this years draft. Upton was sidelined for a month last year with an injured quad and would have had even better #'s if he remained healthy. A great draft pick if you could let him slide to round 5 but most likely he will go ahead of that.

Dan Uggla - Dan has two solid seasons under his belt where he has made a name of himself in the bigs. His average has dropped from '06 to '07 but his power #'s have certainly increased. Uggla will never hit for great average but is definitely the most scary player for opposing pitchers to face on the Marlins. With the departure of Miguel Cabrera, he will need to try to fill those shoes and could have a little trouble in doing so. Last year he hit 2nd in the lineup and had a great protector in Cabrera behind him. He saw a lot more strikes than he will see this year as there isn't anyone in the lineup with the same ferociousness as Miguel. He should have two guys on the base paths in front of him as Hanley Ramirez and the newly acquired Cameron Maybin should spark up the paths. Dan is projected to be moved to the three spot in the line-up but that might change quickly if he can't start to elevate his average some. It is hard to completely predict his 2008 season due to Cabrera hitting the road, but he should be productive enough to hit 25+ HR's and be close to banging in 100 RBI's.

Placido Polanco - He doesn't Strike out very much, that is for sure. Last year he led all big leaguers with the lowest K Ratio, 5.1%. He has never tallied more than 43 K's in a season. he also doesn't walk much (High of 42 in 2003). What this should tell you is that he loves to put the ball in play to see what might happen. Last year he was able to get to the magic 200 hit # and most of those were singles. His power #'s are hard to find, he did have two seasons of 10 or more dingers but you would need to look back at the '03 & '04 season to find them (14 in '03 & 17 in '04). What I do like about Placido is his knack to get on base and over 9 years of player in the MLB he has averaged a .305 clip. He is good for around 180 hits a year and about 60 RBI's. 2007 was his best season of his career and the Tigers are going to be a complete force in 2008. Detroit will battle all big league clubs in offensive categories this year and if Polanco can get on base as much as he has in years past, he could score 125+ runs in '08. he is a safe bet for a second basemen and you can wait until deeper rounds to draft him. he will never make your eyes pop out with his numbers, but you will never have to worry about seeing goose eggs on his stat line.

Howie Kendrick - He would of been spotlighted a bit more in 2007 if he didn't break a finger twice during the season (2 DL trips). He takes after his powerful teammate Vladimir Guerrero as he likes to swing at almost anything. When he makes contact, which is most of the time, he really hits the cheese out of the ball. In 4 seasons in the minors he hit over .360 (.359 avg in 292 minor league plate appearances). In 2007, Howie had two different 10 game hitting streaks and showed some great aggressiveness at the plate. He will hit towards the bottom of the Angels lineup and will get plenty of nice pitches to hit in '08. Kendrick has mediocre power but is a guy who could start to put up great average numbers year in and year out. Angels Fans call him "HK-47" as he wears # 47 and really packs some explosive pop.

2008 Fantasy Baseball First Basemen - Top 5

2007-12-28T15:48:00.000-08:00

The power corner...it was hard to narrow down the top 5 but I do think they are clear cut. You can't go wrong with any of these guys, but there are a few that should stand above the rest. The top three players are ones you should really try to secure in your draft. 1st basemen can really add some "pop" to your squad and that should go without being said. They usually aren't the best all around athletes but this is fantasy and no one cares about your glove work.

2008 TOP 5 FANTASY FIRST BASEMEN

#1 - Albert Pujols - 2007 Stats
565 AB's, .327 AVG, 185 Hits, 38 Doubles, 1 Triple, 32 HR's, 103 RBI's, 2 Stolen Bases & 99 Walks.

#2 - Ryan Howard - 2007 Stats
529 AB's, .268 AVG, 142 Hits, 26 Doubles, 0 Triples, 47 HR's, 136 RBI's, 1 Stolen Base & 107 Walks.

#3 - Price Fielder - 2007 Stats
573 AB's, .288 AVG, 165 Hits, 35 Doubles, 2 Triples, 50 HR's, 119 RBI's, 2 Stolen Bases & 90 Walks.

#4 - Carlos Pena - 2007 Stats
490 AB's, .282 AVG, 138 Hits, 29 Doubles, 1 Triple, 46 HR's, 121 RBI's, 1 Stolen Base & 103 Walks.

#5 - Mark Teixeira - 2007 Stats
494 AB's, .306 AVG, 151 Hits, 33 Doubles, 2 Triples, 30 HR's, 105 RBI's, 0 Stolen Bases & 72 Walks.

2008's Top Sleeper
Billy Butler - 2007 Stats
329 AB's, .292 AVG, 96 Hits, 23 Doubles, 2 Triples, 8 HR's, 52 RBI's, 0 Stolen Bases & 27 Walks.

Just missed the Top 5
Lance Berkman - 2007 Stats
561 AB's, .278 AVG, 156 Hits, 24 Doubles, 2 Triples, 34 HR's, 102 RBI's, 7 Stolen Bases & 94 Walks.

First Basemen Notes:
Albert Pujols - STUD!!!! 32 or more HR's in each of first 7 MLB seasons. 103 or more RBI's in each as well. Over .314 batting average in each of first 7 seasons (.332 Lifetime). Need I say more...last year was his worst season... but don't even think twice; if you can land him, steal him ASAP!!!

Ryan Howard - Last year was definitely not as nice as his 2006 campaign. But that should be expected when you miss 14 games with a strained quad and play through it before and after the injury. Don't let the slumping #'s fool you, this kid can flat out hit...to all parts of the field!! Yeah, he set the MLB record for K's in a season (199)! Yeah, his average dropped 45 points! Yeah, he had 11 less homers! Don't be a homer, take him quickly and reap his benefits. If he stays healthy, his #'s will impress!

Price Fielder - 23 Years old and 50 homers under his belt for one season! Hopefully he will try to keep other things from making it under his belt. His weight might be an issue as he needs to keep fit to maintain his great numbers. The season is a long one and last year Prince only hit .230 in August and September which should show you there are issues with his fitness. He is still a youngster and has tremendous power, it would just be nice for him to take a different path than his dad. He was much more patient in 2007 than 2006 as he walked 31 more times. His average has stayed right around .280 every year as well. He might be more risky than others but his production should stay close to the same. He has great hitters all around him in the lineup and that should assist him well.

Carlos Pena - O' how it is nice to get the starters job from the get go. Carlos was platooning and seeing a lot of bench work with the 4 different squads before finding a home with Tampa Bay. His average has been pretty suspect, but if last year was proof of his maturing process, look out in 2008. He should no longer have to worry about keeping his position as he should be inked before the season starts. A definite gamble, but one with very nice rewards if he maintains his eye. (103 walks)

Mark Teixeira - His #'s were horrible before the All-Star Break but he still managed to put up great final stats in '07. He has hit 30+ homers & 100+ RBI's each of the last 4 seasons and will maintain that in Atlanta. He is a .286 lifetime hitter and is now entering his prime. As a lefty he has much better power but his average is much lower from that side of the plate. Good thing as rightys are abundant in the NL. Sitting in between Chipper Jones, Brian McCann and Jeff Francoeur he will get plenty of pitches to hit and should have a wonderful first full season in the NL.

Lance Berkman - He's now 31 and should show off some of his veteran skills. He now has 8 full seasons under his belt in a small home field and is rarely hurt. He is a lifetime .300 hitter and has real potential of having a .315/40/120 year in 2008. Hits for way more power from the left side and is starting to know the strike zone much better. Carlos Lee, himself and the newly acquired Miguel Tejada should really scare opposing pitchers in '08. Hunter Pence and Kazuo Matsui should fire up the base paths in front of these power three and the RBI's # will be effected!

Billy Butler - Lets put it this way, he isn't the best fielder, but he is a pure hitter. He was drafted out of high school in the 2004 First-Year Player Draft as a 3rd baseman. He wasn't very swift with the glove and was moved to the outfield. He was brought up to the bigs in 2007 as a left fielder but was shortly sent back down because he was error prone. The Royals organization tweaked his position again and made him a first baseman and that it how he was called back up in '07. He can hit and when you have that gift, you will find a spot in the line up. His only competition in 2008 in Ross Gload...that should tell you who is their guy. He hit the go ahead/winning homer in the 2006 All-Star Futures Game and was awarded the MVP. In 2008, Kansas City will be much like the 2006 Detroit Tigers as they will rely heavily on their young talent. Butler should keep a spot in the line-up for many years to come and you should steal him in your draft and listen to others praise you come All-Star Break.

Top 5 Second Baseman are up next, keep your eye out for the post.

2008 Fantasy Baseball Catchers - Top 5

2007-12-27T08:27:00.000-08:00

Can you believe that it is not even 2008 on the calendar and fantasy baseball talk is already starting?? Believe it yo! To prep you and get you ready for your 2008 Fantasy Baseball draft, we will start early and try to throw out as much information as possible for you. This post will start the 2008 player position rankings and will be updated throughout the preseason.

If you have come for Fantasy Football help for Week 17, that ship has sailed. Look elsewhere or send me an email with your questions fantasysurgeon@yahoo.com .

2008 TOP 5 FANTASY CATCHERS

#1 - Victor Martinez - 2007 STATS
562 AB's, .301 AVG, 169 Hits, 40 Doubles, 0 Triples, 25 HR's, 114 RBI's, 2 Stolen Bases & 62 Walks.

#2 - Russell Martin - 2007 STATS
540 AB's, .293 AVG, 158 Hits, 32 Doubles, 3 Triples, 19 HR's, 87 RBI's, 21 Stolen Bases & 67 Walks.

#3 - Joe Mauer - 2007 STATS
406 AB's, .293 AVG, 119 Hits, 27 Doubles, 3 Triples, 7 HR's, 60 RBI's, 7 Stolen Bases & 57 Walks.

#4 - Brian McCann - 2007 STATS
504 AB's, .270 AVG, 136 Hits, 38 Doubles, 0 Triples, 18 HR's, 92 RBI's, 0 Stolen Bases & 35 Walks.

#5 - Jorge Posada - 2007 STATS
506 AB's, .338 AVG, 171 Hits, 42 Doubles, 1 Triple, 20 HR's, 90 RBI's, 2 Stolen Bases & 62 Walks.

2008's Top Sleeper
Geovany Soto - 2007 STATS
54 AB's, .389 AVG, 21 Hits, 6 Doubles, 0 Triples, 3 HR's, 8 RBI's, 0 Stolen Bases & 5 Walks.

Just missed the Top 5
Bengie Molina - 2007 STATS
497 AB's, .276 AVG, 137 Hits, 19 Doubles, 1 Triple, 19 HR's, 81 RBI's, 0 Stolen Bases & 15 Walks.

Catcher Notes:
Victor Martinez - has hit over .300 for the past three seasons with at least 16 HR's (2005 - .305 avg & 20 HR's, 2006 - .316 avg & 16 HR's, 2007 - .301 avg & 25 HR's). Each of those years he has had over 540 AB's.

Russell Martin - Started off 2007 on fire but cooled down as his AB's increased (Hit only .259 in September with no stolen bags). He is only 24 and will be a stud for many years to come. He also can steal bags and his power #'s should increase.

Joe Mauer - Joe is a .300 hitter year in and year out. He battled many injuries in 2007 and most likely will bounce back with a solid performance in '08. He is only ranked under Martin because he is prone to injuries.

Brian McCann - 2007 #'s were a little off of his 'o6 campaign. He avoided ankle surgery in the off season and might have Lasik surgery before the season. He is still one of the best in the game but is a very streaky player.

Jorge Posada - Has hit 19+ HR's in his last 4 seasons and his average has never dipped under .262 since 2000. He is getting some age behind the gear, 36 years young. He should keep up the nice numbers, especially hitting in a lineup that is very potent!

Benjie Molina - Has hit over 10 HR's every year since 2003 but has seen an increase the past 3 seasons with 19 dingers each year. He wont steal you any bags (3 in his career) and he doesn't like to walk (highest walk #'s in 2005 with a whopping 27), but he will hit right around .275 every year.

Geovany Soto - With Kendall now off to the Brewers, Soto will most likely be the starting catcher in '08. Pinella loves the kid and with a power-packed lineup around him, he should put up good #'s in '08. He's only 24 and with so much money tied up in Soriano, Ramirez, Lee, Zambrano and the newly acquired Fukudome; Soto should have no competition for the next few years as long as he doesn't lay an egg. Henry Blanco, the "journeyman" will only be used to give Soto a day off here or there.

Stat assistance from MLB.com.

Check back for the 1st Baseman top 5 soon!

Reflecting on 2007 NFL - Fantasy Style - Biggest Draft Day Sleepers!!

2007-12-26T09:16:00.000-08:00

Now that most everybody has gained 10+ pounds and is sitting in their office wondering why they didn't practice harder earlier in life to become a pro athlete, it is time to reflect back on what we could have done better this year in FANTASY FOOTBALL. This post will highlight this years best sleepers and should cement some names in your head for next year's NFL Fantasy Draft.

For a benchmark, I used cbssportsline as a reference point to the information below. My favorite league is a PPR league (point per reception) and I used the final player scoring totals as the final ranking for each player. I also used their Average Draft Position as a guide for preseason draft positions! This information is of some assistance and you should do this in your current leagues to see who you might want to target for next year!

ADP = Average Draft Position
FR = Final Scoring Ranking in PPR Leagues

Quarterbacks - Top Sleepers
1st Place / TONY ROMO - ADP = 10th - FR = 2nd
2nd Place / BEN ROETHLISBERGER - ADP = 15th - FR = 4th
3rd Place / MATT HASSELBECK - ADP = 11th - FR = 7th
2007 #1 Sleeper Quarterback / DEREK ANDERSON - Undrafted - FR = 5th

Running Backs - Top Sleepers
1st Place / BRIAN WESTBROOK - ADP = 7th - FR = 1st
2nd Place / ADRIAN PETERSON - ADP = 22nd - FR = 4th
3rd Place / CLINTON PORTIS - ADP = 20th - FR = 5th
2007 #1 Running Back Sleeper / EARNEST GRAHAM - Undrafted - FR = 9th

Wide Receivers - Top Sleepers
1st Place / BRAYLON EDWARDS - ADP = 30th - FR = 4th
2nd Place / WES WELKER - ADP = 49th - FR = 8th
3rd Place / BRANDON MARSHALL- ADP = 43rd - FR = 10th
2007 #1 Wide Receiver Sleeper / BOBBY ENGRAM - Undrafted - FR = 12th

Tight Ends - Top Sleepers
1st Place / JASON WITTEN - ADP = 10th - FR = 1st
2nd Place / DALLAS CLARK - ADP = 11th - FR = 5th
3rd Place / OWEN DANIELS - ADP = 15th - FR = 7th
2007 #1 Tight End Sleeper / DONALD LEE - Undrafted - FR 9th

GOOD LUCK TO THOSE STILL SEARCHING FOR THEIR FANTASY TROPHY AND ALSO TO THE WINNERS!!

Baseball fantasy starts soon!!!!!!! Start preparing now as drafts will be upon us before you can imagine! The focus of this site will now become MLB! NFL news and NFL Fantasy draft information will start when it becomes important to start studying for the 2008 Draft!

Week 16 NFL - Heros & Zeros (Fantasy Playoffs) Grades from Selected Players

2007-12-24T12:55:00.000-08:00

One more game left to determine the fantasy trophy holder in most leagues! Tonight's Chargers vs Broncos game has plenty of stars who will either solidify someones chances to be the champion or crush their hopes and dampen Christmas Eve...remember again all, ITS FANTASY!

WEEK 16 PLAYERS WHO WERE ON FIRE!!!
(out of the ones you might of started on your roster)
QB'S
Kurt Warner - 36/53, 361 yards, 3 TD's & no picks!
Peyton Manning - 25/35, 311 yards, 3 TD's & no picks!
Donovan McNabb - 24/35, 263 yards, 3 TD's & no picks!
Ben Roethlisberger - 16/20. 261 yards, 3 TD's & no picks! (158.3 QB Rating!!!)

RB'S
Brandon Jacobs - 145 rushing yards, 6 receiving yards & 2 TD's!
Laurence Maroney - 156 rushing yards & 1 TD!
Kenny Watson - 130 rushing yards, 20 receiving yards, 1 TD & 1 fumble!
Marion Barber - 110 rushing yards, 16 receiving yards & 1 TD!
Fred Taylor - 111 rushing yards & 1 TD!

WR'S & TE'S
Anquan Boldin - 13 catches for 162 yards & 2 TD's!
Jerricho Cotchery - 8 catches for 152 yards & 1 TD!
Reggie Wayne - 10 catches for 143 yards, 1 TD & 1 fumble!
Roddy White - 12 catches for 141 yards!
Tony Gonzalez - 10 catches for 137 yards!
Steve Smith - 9 catches for 137 yards & 1 TD!
Santonio Holmes - 4 catches for 133 yards!
Jerramy Stevens - 4 catches for 73 yards & 2 TD's!
Dallas Clark - 6 catches for 60 yards & 2 TD's!

WEEK 16 PLAYERS WHO STUNK IT UP!!!
QB'S
Eli Manning - 7/15, 111 yards, 2 picks & 2 fumbles! "PEE-YEWW!"
Carson Palmer - 11/21, 115 yards, 1 TD & 2 picks! "What is that stench!"
Jon Kitna - 9/16, 115 yards & 1 pick! "Detroit Stink Bomb"
Kyle Orton - 8/14, 101 yards & 1 TD! "Hey, the beat the Pack!"
Brett Favre - 17/32, 153 yards & 2 picks! "He is allowed to have one!"

RB'S
Ron Dayne - Not even a touch! "Constipation is disaster!"
Willie Parker - -1 rushing yards! "Great timing to get hurt! Still he got you there!"
Earnest Graham - 21 rushing yards & 1 receiving yard! "A real sewagfe dump letdown!"
Thomas Jones - 58 yards rushing & 5 receiving yards! "J-E-T-S, Stink, Stink, Stink!"
Kolby Smith - 60 rushing yards & 55 receiving yards! "And you thought Detroit smelled!"

WR'S & TE'S
Chad Johnson - 4 catches for 44 yards & 14 rushing yards! "Gave owners a big belly ache!"
Chris Henry - NADA, ZILCH & a big port-a-potty!
Joey Galloway - 1 catch for 29 yards! "Dirty daipers!"
Marques Colston - 3 catches for 16 yards! "Depends(tm) are for messy adults"
Hines Ward - 6 catches for 59 yards! "Poopy time to smell it up!"
Bobby Engram - 5 catches for 69 yards! "Wrestled a Gator!"
Greg Jennings - 3 catches for 42 yards! "Windy City blowing around steamers!"
Donald Driver - 4 catches for 32 yards! "See Jennings toilet!"
Anthony Gonzalez - 2 catches for 22 yards! "Dumpster...but was hurt!"

GRADING MY PICKS
Start of the Week - Earnest Graham (see above) F-

SHOULD BE FINE!
QB'S
Ben Roethlisberger - A+
Brodie Croyle - D-
Sage Rosenfels - B-

RB'S
Jamal Lewis - C
Fred Taylor - B+
Kolby Smith - F

WR'S
Andre Johnson - B+
Anthony Gonzalez - F
Wes Welker - C-

SHOULD RIDE THE PINE!
QB'S
Jon Kitna - A
Derek Anderson - A-
Carson Palmer - A+

RB'S
Aaron Stecker - D
Clintos Portis - F
Marshawn Lynch - D

WR'S
Roydell Williams - B+
Brandon Marshall - Plays tonight!
T.J. Houshmandzadeh - B

Overall Week 16 GPA - 2.23
"Just enough to be eligible for sports!"
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Have a wonderful Chrismas and GO CHARGERS!!

FANTASY PLAYOFFS - Key Sites for Updates

2007-12-23T09:29:00.000-08:00

Hello all. Not a long post here, just some key websites to frequent to help with you Sunday morning rosters!

Best site for updates and last minute key info, rotoworld!

Weather updates, weather.com!

Sunday Inactives, espn!

Good luck and happy holidays to all! These sites WILL help you and are the best available for last minute moves!

Ruled OUT for Week 16 and Banged Up Players!

2007-12-21T21:20:00.000-08:00

Thank the lord! If you were like many who drafted Rudi Johnson this year thinking he was going to be as productive as years past, you were highly disappointed. Rudi was a complete flop and if you were lucky enough to grab Kenny Watson on waivers, you were rewarded with some good #'s from the star backup. Once again, Rudi disappointed owners in Week 16 and with some luck on owners side, has been ruled OUT for week 16. Just in time for the big playoff game, it is safe to say that Watson is a safe play as a low end RB2 or a Flex. He is an great play especially in PPR leagues as the weather will not effect his #'s but should assist instead. DeDe Dorsey will steal some carries, but not enough to think twice about starting Kenny! At least owners were rewarded by this update as Watson could prove beneficial to owners hunting for the glorious trophy!

Marvin Harrison has been ruled out. Anthony Gonzalez is now the 2nd man in Indianapolis as expected and you should start him without hesitation. Not like this news of Harrison comes as a shock!

Laveranues Coles was limited in practice Friday and will most likely be inactive. He would be a tough start anyway given the past few weeks performance with the bum ankle.

2007 - The Year of the Injured Running Backs

2007-12-21T09:56:00.001-08:00

WOW! More injuries and bad timing for many hopeful fantasy trophy winners. This year has been so bad to top running back draft picks! In next years draft, you might want to think twice before taking a running back after pick 5 of your draft. Of course, you must stack up on running backs if you plan on having a good season but a 1st round pick of a solid top receiver or a QB should not be out of the question. I have taken Cbssportsline's 2007 Average Draft Position List and have marked all of the players who have been hurt during this years games. This might help open your eyes for next years draft! If you can't get one of the top 4-5, you will want to "play it safe" and snag someone who will get you points all year long.

AVERAGE DRAFT POSITION (in order of RB's taken) / PLAYER / NOTE
Injured back are in RED!! If player missed only 1 week, it was not in red.

1. LaDainian Tomlinson
2. Steven Jackson - Missed Weeks (4-7)
3. Larry Johnson - Out since Week 10
4. Shaun Alexander - Missed Weeks (10-12)
5. Joseph Addai - Missed Week 5 only!
6. Frank Gore - Missed Week 9 only!
7. Brian Westbrook - Missed Week 4 only!
8. Willie Parker - Will miss Week 17
9. Rudi Johnson - Missed Weeks (4, 6, 7 & 8)
10. Reggie Bush - Out since Week 14
11. Laurence Maroney - Missed Weeks (4-6 & 10)
12. Travis Henry - Missed Weeks (8 & 10-12)
13. Willis McGahee
14. Ronnie Brown - Out since Week 8
15. Maurice Jones-Drew
16. Edgerrin James
17. Cedric Benson - Out since Week 13
18. Thomas Jones
19. Brandon Jacobs - Missed Weeks (2-4 & 12-13)
20. Clinton Portis
21. Duece McAllister - Out since Week 4
22. Adrian Peterson - Missed Weeks (11 & 12)
23. Marshawn Lynch - Missed Weeks (11-13)
24. Cadillac Williams - Out since Week 5
25. Marion Barber
26. Ahman Green - Missed Weeks (4 & 5, 8, 11-15)
27. Jamal Lewis - Missed Week 6
28. Julius Jones
29. Tatum Bell - Hasn't played since Week 7
30. DeAngelo Williams

Fantasy Playoffs - Should be Fine or Ride the Pine!

2007-12-20T08:27:00.000-08:00

For most formats of fantasy football, this is the deciding week! It all gets started tonight with a high scoring affair in St. Louis. The Rams are really starting to turn it up in past weeks and the Steelers have been playing in bad conditions for the past month. This game really should be a shoot out as both defenses have really been letting opposing teams go to town on them.

Two players who will excel in this game are Torry Holt and Willie Parker. Each will get over 100 yards of total offense and each will have a score. With Steven Jackson running like a stallion, this will open up the passing game for the Rams as the Steelers will focus on shutting down Jackson and trying to put Mark Bulger on his back. The "Steel Curtain" has been humiliated in the past two weeks, with no sacks and only 1 pick. They will now be indoors and this will be the true test for the D if they can function without Aaron Smith, the glue to their defense! Willie Parker has been putting up great yardage every week and against a suspect Rams rush D, will break a big run for a TD.

Below you will find some players who should help your team just fine or should find their way on your fantasy roster pine!

MUST BE IN YOUR LINEUP (Top Starter of Week 16)
Earnest Graham - He has quietly been the one of the best backs in the NFL after taking over for the injured Cadillac Williams & Michael Pittman and will continue to shine against the 49ers on Sunday! The Niners will be hungry to hit their Ex-QB (Jeff Garcia) in the ear hole and Graham will slide right by with some nice runs. Yeah, he hasn't run for 100 yards since Week 13 against NO, but against Houston in Week 14 he had 2 TD's and last week against Atlanta he ran for 79 yards, 1 score and caught 5 passes for 40 yards!

PLAYERS THAT SHOULD BE FINE!
QB'S
Ben Roethlisberger - 3 TD's last week and no picks. The yardage wasn't stellar (146 yards) but Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes & Heath Miller will all have nice games!
Brodie Croyle - He's facing the dejected and almost ready to give up Lions, should I say anymore! This is the week he makes some highlight films.
Sage Rosenfels - Expect Andre Johnson, Owen Daniels and Kevin Walter each to have a TD! In the second half of this game, expect Indy to rest their starters; no matter what Dungy has said! Sage has something to prove, that he can be a reliable NFL Starter!

RB'S
Jamal Lewis - Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!! Cleveland will be forcing the running game and Jamal will excel in this match up. Last week he was the workhorse for the Browns with 33 carries and 163 yards. No touchdowns, but this week will score at least once against the weak Cincinnati Defense who gave up 138 rushing yards to Frank Gore in Week 15. The snow will be coming down in Cinci and Lewis will pull the sleigh!
Fred Taylor - He has put up 100 yards each of the last 4 weeks and totaled 147 yards last week against the Steelers. This week he faces the Raiders and we all now how well they do against the run!!!
Kolby Smith - The Lions gave up 100 yards to two different Chargers running backs last week (one of them being Darren Sproles). They have thrown in the towel and expect KC to bounce back with a win this week and the Kolby/Brodie show will be the Sunday matinee.

WR'S
Andre Johnson - See Rosenfels above. Houston will have the Colts 2nd stringers to throw against in the second half.
Anthony Gonzalez - Manning needs to up his reps with his backup (now starter) Gonzalez, if he expects to go far in the playoffs. I see Anthony doing better than Reggie Wayne in this match up as Wayne will take it easy and let Dallas Clark and Gonzalez get hot!
Wes Welker - He's playing Miami. Brady will target him plenty! Wes also wants to show the Miami brass how stupid it was to let him go! Super High scoring affair, at least for NE! The weather will be frightful, but Brady and Co. will start prepping for the playoffs!

PLAYERS THAT SHOULD RIDE THE PINE!
QB'S
Jon Kitna - 5 picks last week & his team has quit on him except for Kevin Jones and Calvin Johnson. A very unmotivated team will show up this week and Kitna will try to force too many balls into tight coverage! He faces KC which is #8 against the pass and have 13 interceptions on the year. The Cheifs will pressure the Lions hard and should sack Kitna at least three times as Detroit will pass and pass some more and no receivers will be open.
Derek Anderson - Sit him if the weather is bad! It should be snowing and Jamal will carry the load. See above! However, if the weather turns out to be nice, start him!
Carson Palmer - Same as Anderson! Keep tabs on the weather! Palmer has been a disappointment in recent weeks! The last 5 weeks combined he has a 78 QB rating and has 6 TD's and 7 picks! He hasn't thrown for over 300 yards since Week 11 vs. AZ. With that being said, he murdered Cleveland in Week 2 with 401 yards, 6 TD's and 2 picks! The weather will decide how this game goes!

RB'S
Aaron Stecker - His last two games have been great for the Saints, but this week he faces the Philly D and they held the Cowboys running game in check Week 15. Dallas totalled a feeble 53 rushing yards against them last week and expect New Orleans to take to the air at home in Week 16.
Clinton Portis - Minnesota is stellar against the run! The #1 rush defense holds opposing backs to less than 70 yards per game and has only given up 6 TD's on the year!
Marshawn Lynch - He didn't fare well in the cold weather last week in Cleveland and only rushed for 82 yards against the Browns. The weather should be bad again and expect a sub par game!

WR'S
Roydell Williams - he finally showed up in Week 15, don't expect it again! His 2 scores last week will be his best game in 2007 and he hasn't caught more than 5 passes all year! The Jets rank 30th against stopping the run and the Titans will run, run, run in Week 16.
Brandon Marshall - His off the field play has been bad and now he faces the Chargers pass Defense who made Kitna look like he was a Chargers quarterback using the Defensive Backs as receivers. San Diego leads the NFL with interceptions and will be double covering Marshall all day. The Chargers are playing for seeding in the playoffs, and even if the offense gets some rest, the defense will not go lightly against their divisional nemesis! Last time Marshall faced a decent pass defense was the Raiders in Week 13 and he had 6 catches for 67 yards. The Broncos have been leaning strongly on him and the Chargers know this is how to shut down the Denver O!!
T.J. Houshmandzadeh - See Palmer! See weather! On top of that, he has one touchdown in his last 5 games and hasn't had a 100 yard game in that stretch as well. He only has three 100 yard games for the season and has only 2 TD's in his last nine games. If the weather miraculously clears, he could produce. But even if, it is a risk!

Here are a few key sites to visit for some extra help with your lineups:

ESPN Player Rankings
FOX Sports Player Projections
YAHOO Player Rankings
NFL Weather Updates - Weather.com

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR PLAYOFFS!!! KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED THAT THE STUDS WILL ONCE AGAIN SHOW UP IN WEEK 16!

Vote for your Favorite Sports Blog!

2007-12-19T08:58:00.000-08:00

Hello all...

One of my favorite blogs (MLB Trade Rumors) has made the finals of another blogs "Best Blogs" tourney. The name of the site with the tournament is "Busted Coverage" and you can see all of the entries and this site by clicking here.

I though you might want to check this out as it will open "new doors" of blogs you might not know already existed.

Blocking your Fantasy Opponents Waiver Moves

2007-12-18T21:46:00.000-08:00

A neat trick that is easy to pull off during the playoffs for fantasy is picking up a player that one of your opponents will try to snag off of waivers. Even if you do not need to pick up a player, it is smart to take someone that one of your enemies might want to pick up from waivers. If you are playing someone who desperately needs a running back and you are ahead of them on the waiver order, why not pick them up so they can't!!

Example: If someone you are playing in Week 16 had Justin Fargas (injured Week 15) on their roster for the previous week, and you are before them in the add/drop; steal the person that they would most likely go after before they even have a chance to gain their assistance. It would be a good idea to pick up Dominick Rhodes before they can. Also, they might not be thinking as far ahead like you and if you have some expendable players, try picking up Lamont Jordan and maybe Darren Sproles as well. The next day when your nemesis notices that they were "hornswaggled", they have no moves left to pull, except for that tissue to dry their tears. This could be the final chess move to secure that trophy for your mantle!

A WORD OF ADVICE...
If you look like a lock to win the fantasy league trophy, don't count your chickens before they hatch!!! Do not start bragging about your fantasy prowess until you absolutely know you have won your trophy. The last thing you want to do is add fuel to your enemy's fire!!! I guarantee that would be one you would never hear the end of if you happened to lose!

2007 Pro Bowl Selections

2007-12-18T13:21:00.001-08:00

Well the #'s are in and Dallas wins with the most players heading to the Pro Bowl in Hawaii for 2007. The NFC's Dallas is sending a whopping 11 players this year & the AFC is sending 8 from both San Diego and New England. See complete lists here, highlights reels are included! Thanks for the clips NFL, since we can't always rely on your coverage (Darn NFL Network!)

First year starters that made the squad:
NFC - Adrian Peterson - Vikings
AFC - Antonio Cromartie - Chargers

WAIVER WIRE PICK-UPS (for those who care!!)

2007-12-18T11:23:00.000-08:00

Well, well, well... looks like the season is NFL winding down but for some fantasy owners, it is really heating up. If you have made it this far, you probably don't need help on the waiver wire unless you had a player that went down to injury in Week 15. Justin Fargas & LaDainian Tomlinson are two key backs who were banged up this past week and you might need to scour the waiver wire once more to find an adequate replacement.

LT looks like he'll be fine, but he might be rested just to make sure he is ready to go for the playoffs. Turn to Michael Turner..."Strike that, reverse it" - Willy Wonka Quote... Turner popped his shoulder and will most likely be held out in Week 16, so the Chargers will turn to the Oompa Loompa who can carry the weight, Darren Sproles. Sproles is a top choice for this week's waiver wire and there are a few other names that just could help you win that title.

Darren Sproles - Might see all 2nd half action, or the remainder of the plays from scrimmage after the Chargers lay it on to Denver on Monday night and LT becomes the #1 Cheerleader for the little guy. (San Diegan Bias here)

Lamont Jordan/Dominic Rhodes - They will probably split time but are worth a look as the Silver & Black have been running the ball well this year. Losing Fargas was a blow to them, but what are they really fighting for. They want to see if these guys are worth holding on to, but if they don't put up #'s with there first handful of carries, the Raiders might just turn to their future; Jamarcus Russell and see what he can do through the air.

Reggie Bush - Many owners dropped Bush when he tore his MCL. It is worth a shot to see if he might be lingering out there as he might be active this week as the Saints are fighting for the playoffs.

Kenton Keith - (see Darren Sproles above) The Colts really aren't concerned about the two games moving forward as they have already locked up a first round bye and the #2 seed for the AFC playoffs. Dungy has said that he will play his players just like normal as two years ago he started to sit players as they were locked in for the playoffs, then they came out super flat against the Steelers in their first game and lost. With this being said... I do think that Addai will be rested in the second half and the "go to guy" will be Keith. Only a true desperation move for owners who are tremendously hurting for a RB #2 or Flex, there should be better options available though.

FACE OFF - Adrian Peterson Style

2007-12-17T15:31:00.000-08:00

Nicolas Cage vs John Travolta is old news, over 10 years now!

ITS TIME FOR FACE OFF, THE SEQUEL...NFL STYLE. AD vs The Other!

Tonight's game has major impact for many fantasy games that are still waiting for the final scores to tally, before some can rejoice and others can see how far their TV remote can make it through drywall.

The battle of the Adrian Petersons begins. You might think, what battle? And most likely, you are right. "All Day" Peterson (Vikings) should have a good game tonight but do not expect him to put up the numbers like the last meeting with the Chicago Bears. Last time he squared up against the Bears, he rushed for 224 yards and 3 TDs. But that was before he was banged up and also before Chester Taylor started his late season surge.

Hey, we wouldn't even of had this post unless Cedric Benson went down, so enjoy the word play! "The Other" Adrian Peterson (Bears) will most likely split time tonight with Garrett Wolfe as Lovie Smith and the Bears Front Office should really see what they have in the youngster as "The Other" is primarily a back up. But who knows, will "The Other" have 14 carries for 3 yards like AD's performance last week against the 49ers, I highly doubt it! But weirder things have happened (See Terrell Owens, Week 15).

The Vikings can smell the playoffs and a win tonight will put them one step closer to securing the Wild Card Spot for the post season.

MNF Crystal Ball
BEARS
Bernard Berrian - 100 + yards and a TD
Desmond Clark - 75 yards and a TD
Kyle Orton - 225 yards passing and 3 TD's, 2 picks and a fumble
Devin Hester - Punt Return TD

VIKINGS
Adrian Peterson - 125 yards and 1 TD
Chester Taylor - 75 Yards & 2 TDs (1 receiving)
Tavaris Jackson - 175 yards yards passing, 1 TD
Robert Furguson - 100 yards receiving

Bears win / 34 to 24

Studs and Duds (numero dos)

2007-12-17T10:25:00.000-08:00

Here is the second part of Studs and Duds. Father time was bad to almost all, and some of the studs, we didn't even know played ball (this means your Greg Camarillo)! You know things were not right when kickers Mason Crosby and Nate Kaeding scored more than your top receivers!

Receiver STUDS:
Marques Colston - 8/114, TD
Greg Camarillo (Who needs Chris Chambers anyway, HA!) - 3/109, TD
Jason Witten - 8/113
Calvin Johnson - 5/102
Roydell Williams - 4/94, 2 TD's
Anthony Gonzalez - 7/86, TD

#1 Receiver DUDS (big time letdowns):
Randy Moss - 5/79
Reggie Wayne - 4/69
Braylon Edwards - 4/64
Terrell Owens - 2/37
Plaxico Burress - 3/35
Torry Holt - 3/21, TD
Joey Galloway - 1/7
Roddy White - 1/4

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I guess that if you lost a title shot, you can rest a little easy as many other big time owners did the same. ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN IN DECEMBER! Like stated in a previous post, baseball is starting to heat up and rosters are being worked out as we speak. If you can't already tell, my dream of the 2007 mantle paperweight came crashing down. There is always next year.

Good luck to all who still remain!
Non-fantasy playoff owners who are still interested in 2007 NFL Playoff scenarios, click here.

I hope your Xmas stocking can bring you some surprises as much as Week 15 did, hopefully better than coal! For those who don't celebrate Christmas, I apologize for the reference. Happy Kwanzaa to all and to all a good Mazletoff.

Baseball fantasy updates will begin once Week 17 is over.

Studs and Duds!

2007-12-16T19:39:00.000-08:00

WOW! Brady doesn't even throw one TD! Surprising...nope, not with these weather conditions. Great timing for all of the fantasy owners who needed a big game to propel them further in their quest for the trophy. If Tom wasn't on your squad, I bet there were others who did just as bad and had you whining like the rest of us. On the other hand, the top two selections on most 2007 draft boards had good days and here is a quick run down of the cream of the crop and the big time flops from Sunday's games! (Quarterbacks & Running Backs)

Quarterbacks role playing Brad Pitt or Ryan Phillippe (aka STUDS):
Cleo Lemon - (had to put him first, congrats to the big fish in Miami!!!) 23/39, 315 yards, 1 TD, 12 rushing yards [WIN!!!! <-this is not a typo!!] Drew Brees - 26/30, 315 yards, 2 TDs [Win] Kurt Warner - 19/30, 233 yards, 3 TDs, 1 pick, 1 lost fumble [Loss] David Garrard - 17/33, 197 yards, 3 TDs, 1 pick, 8 rushing yards [Win] Ben Roethlisberger - 16/33, 146 yards, 3 TDs, 15 rushing yards [Loss] DUDS:
Tom Brady - 14/27, 140 yards, 0 TDs, 1 pick, 9 rushing yards [Win]
Tony Romo - 13/36, 214 yards, 0 TD's, 3 picks, 15 rushing yards [Loss]
Jon Kitna - 26/45, 302 yards, 2 TDs, 5 PICKS!! [Loss]
Peyton Manning - 22/39, 276 yards, 1 TD, 1 pick [Win]

Running back STUDS:
Darren Sproles (WHO??) - 122 yards rushing, 13 yards receiving, 2 TDs [Win]
LaDainian Tomlinson - 116 yards rushing, 7 yards receiving, 2 TDs [Win]
Jamal Lewis - 163 yards rushing, 11 yards receiving [Win]
Fred Taylor - 147 yards rushing, 1 TD [Win]
Steven Jackson - 143 yards rushing, 27 yards receving, 1 TD [Loss]
Laurence Maroney - 104 yards rushing, 1 TD [Win]
Aaron Stecker - 95 rushing yards, 46 receiving yards, 2 TDs, [Win]

DUDS:
Shaun Alexander - 17 rushing yards, 6 receiving yards [Loss]
Joseph Addai - 44 rushing yards, 33 receiving yards [Win]
Marion Barber - 32 rushing yards [Loss]

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CONGRATULATIONS TO BRETT FARVE FOR BECOMING THE NFL'S LEADER IN PASSING YARDS (61,405) BY ECLIPSING DAN MARINO'S OLD MARK OF 61,361!!

Receiver Studs and Duds will be posted tomorrow morning!

NFL WEEK 15 WEATHER UPDATE

2007-12-15T08:12:00.000-08:00

Well, the weather outside if frightful...

It's December and that means snow! If not snow, it means extreme weather conditions. This couldn't have come at a worse time for fantasy owners who have reached the most important 2 weeks of the season, playoffs! You must keep tabs on what is going on in your games as it will affect MUST START players weather (<-made a funny) you like it of not! A fantasy expert shared a wonderful source that can help with you setting your roster for tomorrow. Although it is an awesome way to track weather for your games, it does reset to the next week on Sunday Morning! With this said, you must review it today and check local weather reports tomorrow to make sure you start the right players. Check out the great website here, courtesy of weather.com!

Three games that will be heavily effected will be: Bills @ Browns, Jaguars @ Steelers & Jets @ Patriots. Each game is slated to have rain, sleet, snow or a mixture of all! Also, at all venues you will see lots of strong winds that will push each quarterbacks passes all around the stadium. All temperatures will be in the low thirties as well. If you own players that are on these squads, you might want to think twice before putting them in your line up. Yeah, they have been top producers for you this year, but if you have ever played in snow or cold weather, including strong winds; you should know how difficult the passing game will be. The running backs should all see extra touches, but that does not necessarily mean more yards. Keep tabs on your squad as this is a super important week to get that extra edge on your opponent.

Hopefully this will be of some assistance. Good luck with your preparation!

Could this be the week??

2007-12-14T09:45:00.000-08:00

Sad, pitiful, horrid, putrid, lame, disgraceful, sucky...all great descriptive names that could be labeled to NFL's worst team in many years, but that could change this week.

The Miami Dolphins have three more chances to humiliate some team in the league and this week could be theirs to shine. The Dolphins play the Ravens at home Sunday and if they can't "get 'er done" in week 15 it is looking awfully bleak for weeks 16 (at New England) and 17 (at home against Cincinnati).

You might think that this week is looking bad as well, but if you look a little deeper into the match up, some weaknesses could be exploited. Sure, Cleo Lemon will be starting behind center and you might see last years fantasy hero, Samkon Gado in the backfield; but the Ravens are beat up physically and their offense, besides Willis McGahee, is in shambles.

To start things off, Chris McAlister was recently placed on IR and Samari Rolle sat out of practice on Wednesday and things don't look optimistic for him on Sunday. To make things worse, Haloti Ngata might be held out to add to the reason why Miami might just pull out a win.

See up to date Ravens news here!

On the offensive side for the Ravens, things are just as bad. Demetrius Williams has been ruled out and Mark Clayton didn't practice on Wednesday as well. Todd Heap remains out and most likely will not play in week 15 or for the rest of the season after being out since week 4. True, Derrick Mason has been solid, but will be double teamed for most of the day since he is really their only serviceable receiver. Mark Boller is definitely not the QB of the future for this organization and is best serviceable as a backup lifer! With Troy Smith waiting for his second chance (last week played well and scored a rushing TD), Boller will ultimately have a short leash on Sunday. I can't see Steve McNair in the future plans of this team as ultimately they will need to revamp the offensive side of this squad as they are ranked 24th in total offense, putting up under 300 yards per game. Last years Heisman Trophy winner is in the plans moving forward and this would be a great week to get him in the mix.

Miami is last in rushing defense and Willis McGahee will have a strong game here, so make sure he is your lineup! He is one of the best starts of the week and should see 100+ yards and a TD. All other players in this game should be left alone and this will be a total stinker! So bad that Miami might just slap a notch in the win column. But still, it will be a game that you should not even try to watch, even if a bar is dumb enough to play it (Sorry Baltimore & Miami).