Q:
With the real All-Star teams announced this week, who are your
fantasy baseball All-Stars?
- Colin
A: No snubs here in the Q and A ... well, maybe a few. Here are the AL and NL starting lineups for my own fantasy baseball All-Star match-up:
AL
C: Joe Mauer - The guy is about three bus-lengths ahead of the
competition for batting champ. I don’t want to jinx it,
but he could be making a run at a batting average between the
numbers of .399 and .401.
1B: David Ortiz - He edges out guys like Paul Konerko, Nick Swisher and Jason Giambi because he’s a first-round pick and is expected to do this well. Besides, you can’t argue with his numbers: .273 BA, 60 R, 27 HR and a monster 76 RBIs.
2B: Robinson Cano - I’ll pass on Mark Loretta, thank you very much. I was torn between Tadahito Iguchi and Cano, but the Yankee’s .325 average is too appealing.
SS: Miguel Tejada - I respect Jeter’s better average, but it’s not that much higher than Tejada’s .312. Plus, no other shortstop can match his power. He’s already got 59 runs, 58 RBIs and 17 home runs. Just another year for fantasy’s best shortstop.
3B: Alex Rodriguez - There’s a reason why this guy was either taken #1 or #2 in your drafts. His 19 home runs puts him on pace for another season of 40+ homers even though he’s just getting out of a hitting drought. Best option at the hot corner.
OF: Ichiro - I really don’t know why, but it seems like he’s underrated in drafts. He will lift your entire team’s batting average (.355) and is one of the guys that can almost win you a category on his own (27 steals).
OF: Carl Crawford - See a pattern here? While Crawford can match Ichiro on the basepaths (29 steals), Japan’s finest has nothing on Crawford when it comes to hitting the ball more than 150 feet. Crawford is on pace to have one of those seasons fantasy players drool about - .300 BA, 20+ home runs, 100+ runs, 80+ RBI and 60 SB.
OF: Grady Sizemore - This was going to be Manny Ramirez, but it’s just too hard to find guys who are on pace for a .300 batting average with 30 homers, 30 steals and a good shot at 100 runs and RBIs.
SP: Francisco Liriano - Yeah, I went there. Teammate Johan Santana has better numbers, but that’s only because he has started more games. For the fact that most owners probably got Liriano in the late rounds of the draft, there’s no better value than Minnesota’s (gasp!) best pitcher from the first half.
RP: Jonathan Papelbon - Another converted starter, Bobby Jenks, isn’t too far off, but Papelbon has flat out been the best closer in all of baseball. A couple hiccups this past week are allowed, as the rook still has an anemic 0.43 ERA.
My snubs: Manny Ramirez (Only outfielder that’s among the top home run hitters in the AL), Johan Santana (#2 SP on my list), Ramon Hernandez (a catcher with 15 homers) and Vernon Wells (A .300 average with 20 home runs and 10 stolen bases)
NL
C: Mike Piazza - His average isn’t as high as Brian McCann’s,
but I’ll take .274 any day if it’s with a catcher
who has power. Piazza isn’t washed up yet and is third among
MLB catchers in home runs and has 34 RBI.
1B: Albert Pujols - Do I need to express reason?
2B: Chase Utley - Fantasy’s top second baseman hasn’t disappointed this season with a .300 average and 16 homers. He’s also top-10 in the NL in runs and hits.
SS: Jose Reyes - You should expect some speed from your shortstop, but Reyes takes the cake. His 37 leads the majors and he’s also tops with 72 runs.
3B: David Wright - He’s becoming a fantasy beast, hitting .320 with 18 home runs and is top-5 in RBI. Oh yeah, he’s also got 11 steals. Gotta love that.
OF: Carlos Beltran - He ranks among the NL’s best in runs, RBI, home runs and isn’t too far off in steals. The Beltran we came to know and love is back, 30/30 style.
OF: Alfonso Soriano - Might as well keep the theme here. Another guy who should have a 30/30 season and has a legitimate shot at 40/40 should be given consideration for fantasy’s best player.
OF: Carlos Lee - He beats out Adam Dunn for the sheer fact his batting average is significantly higher. Aside from Cincinnati’s Paul Bunyan, Lee is the only other guy from the NL who has a legit shot at hitting 50 bombs.
SP: Pedro Martinez - That 3.45 ERA may not be the best, but his 111 strikeouts almost are. His seven wins won’t blow you out of the water, but that’s still among the top pitchers in the NL.
RP: Tom Gordon - His 21 saves currently rank third, but his 41 Ks are great for a fantasy closer.
My snubs: Lance Berkman (Pujols-lite, whatever that means), Jason Bay (Can’t deny the all-around players), Ryan Howard (He’s country strong and leads the majors in homers) and Tom Glavine (11 wins are welcome to any team).
Q: I’ve got a mid-season
draft coming up. Who should I target in the first round?
- Brendan
A: If you’re drafting near the top of the opening round, all the same players from the beginning of the season should still go in the top 5 spots: Pujols, A-Rod, Vlad, Johan Santana and Manny/Big Papi. Even more so in the second half of the season, it’s important to make a note of who will dip off from their production from the first half.
The good players you’ll find in the first two or three rounds will be good, year-round. So whoever you had in the first rounds of your draft at the start of the season will probably still be good people to target. However, it’s the later rounds that will matter most.
Melvin Mora, Pat Burrell, Brett Myers, Dontrelle Willis and Paul Lo Duca are guys who have historically not done well in the second half. Meanwhile, Andy Pettitte, Austin Kearns, Jason Lane, Aubrey Huff, Curt Schilling and Jim Thome all seem to ignite after the All-Star break.
Just like any other draft, it’s easy to make picks in rounds 1 to 5, but it’s all the middle rounds that end up making the difference for a fantasy team. Check split stats for potential draftees and just make sure your picks count.
Q: With the second half of the
season starting and teams warming up, is it worthwhile to target
their players? It seems like when the A’s or Astros get
warm, all their players play well.
- Kevin
A: That’s a good point and a valid way to look at things. Oakland’s always been a great team in the second half and that’s got to mean that players are putting up good numbers. The best thing about this scenario for fantasy owners is the fact that you may be able to find players on the cheap and off the waiver wire from those hot teams to help you out.
Jay Payton and Mark Ellis may be free agents in your league, and while they aren’t particularly attractive, they certainly won’t kill you. In last year’s run by the Astros, Jason Lane and Chris Burke were nice surprises as well.
There will always be teams that randomly
get hot in August and players will have to produce for them to
do so. Just make sure to pounce on these guys before other owners
do.
*stats
as of 7/4/06
