I have Albert Pujols on my fantasy team, what do I do now?
- Steve
In short, try not to panic. Depending on who you listen to, Pujols could be out anywhere from two to six weeks. After running some tests this week, no one really knew how severe his oblique strain was, so there’s really no set timetable on when he could finally return.
If there’s any silver lining in this situation, it’s this: Pujols has already amassed half the numbers expected of him this season, so even if he’s out until the All-Star break, he’s still going to give you the numbers you drafted him for. Also, Pujols has said that he’s not going to come back until he’s fully ready and you have to imagine St. Louis won’t take any chances.
Until his much anticipated return, however, you’ll probably have to fend for yourself on the waiver wire. Guys like Phil Nevin, Craig Wilson and Lyle Overbay have been available in leagues I’m in, so just try to find someone serviceable for now. If all else fails, just find a hot bat every few days.
Now that Albert Pujols is out, who’s the top player in fantasy baseball?
- Jim
While the easiest answer would be the #2 guy on draft day, Alex Rodriguez, I’m going to go with Alfonso Soriano.
Everyone thought moving to the spacious confines of RFK Stadium would sap Soriano’s power, but here he is, poised to take over the NL home run lead from the injured Pujols any time. He’s got 22 homers already to go with 13 steals. He’s on pace for a 40-40 season! He’s also got 44 runs, 45 RBIs and is hitting .310.
Not only that, but he’s eligible for two positions in left field and second base, the latter of which has a pretty scarce top-talent pool.
The rest of the field who can vie for the top spot include A-Rod, Jim Thome, Morgan Ensberg and even Corey Patterson, who is tearing up the basepaths right now.
Now that Lastings Milledge is in the majors, what can we expect from him? - Phil
There’s no doubt that Milledge will be in a Mets uniform come next year. Cliff Floyd is currently in the last year of his contract and an outfield of Xavier Nady and Milledge would be pretty good with Beltran (and it would balance out his Beltran’s contract).
As for his line, it depends on how much the Mets let him steal. In theory, he should be staying in the majors right now unless he completely bombs. With a rookie season out of the way, a .275/.375/.450 line with 20 home runs and 15 steals in 2007 isn’t out of the question. Depending on how much time he plays the rest of this season, he could be an average fantasy outfielder with a line similar to the one above with fewer homers and steals. Those are conservative totals too, he could definitely put up better numbers.
Is there anyone worth owning from the Kansas City Royals? - Joel
The short answer is no. But, if you’re in deep leagues there are certainly options.
David DeJesus would probably be a good fantasy player if (a) he stayed healthy and (b) the Royals let him run. It’s not like the team’s producing runs at will, after all. Reggie Sanders is probably the best of the bunch. He’s a guy who can hit for some power and run if needed, basically an older version of DeJesus.
Beyond that, the choices are severely limited. Ambroix Burgos is currently acting as closer, which should warrant a reason to be on fantasy teams, but his 7.09 ERA says otherwise. In theory Zach Greinke could take a bench spot for your rotation, but who knows if he’s coming back this year.
So, basically, there’s no one on the worst team in baseball even worth starting on a regular basis. Even the Devil Rays and Marlins have several guys on each team worth owning and starting on a regular basis. It just goes to show what a horrible job that front office really did do with the team.
I’m desperate for a first basemen ever since Craig Wilson was sent back to platoon status. I’ve been offered the trade of Lyle Overbay for Austin Kearns in a 16-team league with a 1B and CI positions. Thoughts?
- Matt
Well, I’m guessing that with the depth of the league there probably aren’t many (if any) options for you on the waiver wire. If you’ve got to trade then you’ve got to trade.
As for this specific deal, it depends on who you might have to take Kearns’ place. Overbay isn’t a bad first baseman and will be playing ever day. He’s still got another 10-12 homers left in him and will hit .300, so he’s not going to kill your team by any means. By giving up Kearns, you’re giving up 15-18 home runs and pretty good RBI numbers.
In the end, what you get for what you give certainly balances out. You need a starting first baseman and giving up Kearns shouldn't break your team.
