Fantasy Baseball

Outfielder Tier Rankings part 2

2009-02-20T13:41:00.002-05:00

In the first part of our outfielder tiers we looked at the first two tiers of fantasy baseball outfielders. These guys will all be gone before the end of the 5th round. You should make it a point to grab at least one from the first two tiers. After that the 3rd tier is fairly deep but has plenty of upside. You should be able to wait well into the 6th round before grabbing one of these guys.

Tier 3.

11. Jason Bay. (32/110/105/.290/5)
After getting traded to the Red Sox last year Bay tore it up! He was great, some feel this is because he got traded straight across (pretty much) for one of the greatest hitters of all time, Manny. Look for more RBI's this year and a few more HR's. If you can get him after round 6 then be happy!

12. Carlos Quentin. (34/100/100/.280/8)
Everyone and there mother is big on Carlos in fantasy baseball 2009. I am not a believer just yet. He is a great choice for your #2 outfielder but don't expect him to carry your team.

13. Vladimir Guerro. (24/90/80/.295/1)
Age. It finally is catching up to him. Look for Vlad to be a consistent 25 HR's and 90 RBI's.

14. Alex Rios. (22/85/105/.295/30)
This guy exploded last year. A 20/20 candidate that will hit around .300. Sign me up! Rios will be a five toll fantasy contributor for years to come.

15. Curtis Granderson. (25/75/110/.275/15)
He plays for the tigers and if you have not figured it out yet i am big on the tigers offense scoring 1000 runs this year.

16. Nate McLouth. (24/90/100/.275/25)
Nate had an Unbelievable first half. It was so unbelievable he couldn't continue on that pace. However look for Nate to start of the same way during this fantasy baseball season. If he gets hot, trade him.

17. Carlos Lee. (28/100/85/.295/3)
30 homerun potential this late, go for it! Don't forget the guarantee of 100 RBI's. Lee will make a great #2 outfielder in 2009.

18. Ichiro Suzuki. (5/50/105/.300/45)
He used to be in the top 10, but why? Ichiro is a one trick pony. If you need steals I suggest you look somewhere else, like maybe Jacoby?

19. Jacoby Ellsbury. (12/55/105/.280/55)
He wont have to share time with Coco this year. Look for Ellsbury to improve his 2008 stats. I see a lot of upside with Jacoby.

20. Bobby Abreu. (17/100/100/.300/15)
A 20/20 candidate. Not much upside here but a consistent ball player. He also got moved to the angels which have a great offense this year.

That is the end of the 3rd tier for fantasy baseball outfielders in 2009. The next tier of Outfielders are great sleeper candidates. You may be able to find a few #2 outfielders in my list.

Outfielder Tier Rankings part 1

2009-02-19T08:25:00.004-05:00

The outfield position in fantasy baseball has always been one that was known as deep. However in fantasy baseball season 2009 the outfield position is anything but deep. Since every team has to start three outfielders it is a great strategy to grab two great ones early and have two every day players that will contribute on a daily basis. The top tier of outfielders in 2009 are 5 tool contributors and will most likely all be gone before the end of the second round. Having at least one super star outfielder will be essential to winning your fantasy baseball league. I have found that using a tier ranking system for ranking outfielders is the only way to go. Since you will be looking to grab an outfielder in each tier you will have an easy to look at picture of where to draft your outfielders. Here are my fantasy baseball 2009 tier rankings for outfielders. Projected stats are formatted: (HR/RBI/R/AVG/SB)

Tier 1.
This tier consists of the five tool studs. look to get one of these guys in the first round if you find it necessary. However waiting to the 2nd tier could be a strategy that pays off.

1. Grady Sizemore. (35/85/117/.280/40)
This will be Grady's break out year. Yes he has been great in the past, however he will improve on his impressive stats from 2008. He will be a great asset to your fantasy baseball outfield. Look for Sizemore to be gone before the first ten picks.

2. Matt Holliday. ( 24/105/102/.315/25)
Matt Holiday drops to the 2nd best outfielder with his move to Oakland. His numbers will drop but not by to much. Make not guesses about it, this guy is a stud! He will contribute in all 5 categories and has the chance to go 30/30. There is no chance that he doesn't get 100 runs and 100 RBI's, draft Holiday and be happy.

3. Ryan Braun. (33/108/90/.275/15)
His monster numbers will come down a bit, but still look for this guy to be one of the fantasy elite. Look for this guy to be a big time contributor to fantasy teams for the next few years.

4. Josh Hamilton. (30/120/100/.298/10)
This guy exploded on to the scene last year. He was un-believable. Un-drafted at the beginning of the season whomever picked him up in 2008 probably had a good chance of winning there fantasy baseball league. This guy will go drafted this year, in fact in many drafts he is going in the first round. If you want to take a chance here is your guy.

That is it for tier 1 of outfielders. Those are the guys that will be going very early in the draft. However don't worry there are still a few great bargains to be found at the outfield position in 2009. The second tier of outfielders is full of fantasy potential.

Tier 2.

5. Carlos Beltran. (24/105/100/.275/20)
Beltran used to be a fantasy stud. Now at the ripe age of 32 he is well past his prime. Look for his numbers to drop, but no lower than what I have projected. Look to steal Beltran in the late 2nd round or early third, either way he is a bargain.

6. Manny Ramirez. (38/115/100/.320/2)
If he ever signs he will be amazing. When he does sign a contract it will most likely be a for an insane about of money and he will surely have to prove his worth. If he goes to the Dodgers look for Manny to feel like the star and try to carry them on his back.

7. Lance Berkman. (30/110/98/.300/15)
Lance will still qualify in the OF for many leagues. Lance was a fantasy god in the first half of 2009. However after the all star break, he well took a break. If you have Lance this year get rid of him as soon as he goes on a streak.

8. Alfonso Soriano. (35/85/100/.275/22)
How does everyone forget about this guy? I have seen him fall past the 5th round in some mock drafts, I just don't get it. If he falls late snatch him up and have an outfielder that is capable of going 30/30.

9. Adam Dunn. (37/100/90/.240/2)
We all know what we will get with Dunn. He will hit about 40 HR's and get 100 RBI's. Don't expect more.

10. Nick Markakis. (25/100/90/.305/10)
So much potential with this pick. Try to get him late in the 5th round and you will not regret it. He has a lot of upside unlike most of the outfielders you can draft in the 3rd tier of fantasy baseball outfielders.

That ends the first section of my outfielder tiers. Look for me to continue soon with the 3rd tier of fantasy baseball outfielders.

Quick Fantasy Baseball

2009-02-18T15:38:00.004-05:00

Alright lets face it, America loves fantasy baseball. I would have to say almost 40% of Americans play fantasy sports. This number is astronomical when you compare it to other past times. There are many people who play for fun, some that play in competitive leagues and some that play for money. Fantasy baseball is a great way to pass the time and still watch your favorite sport all at the same time. However many people shy away from the ultimate competitive leagues or the money leagues simply because the amount of time that it takes for you to play is substantial. If you want to be competitive it is safe to say that it is in your best interest to put aside about 3 hours each week into doing research and changing your roster. Also looking for trades, and looking for waiver wire steals can take up quite a bit of time as well. Who has this kind of time? Some people do however some do not. If you are one of those people that just don't have the time then may i introduce to you the "quick fantasy baseball league."

This league is something that a few buddies of mine started in college. I went to a college that took up a lot of my time so we didn't have as much time to dedicate to our fantasy sports as we did in high school. Still wanting to play we created quick fantasy baseball. This will be our 4th year of running quick fantasy baseball leagues.

The idea behind quick fantasy baseball or as we have come to call it "quick ball" is to have a league were the competition is fierce however the amount of time it takes to be competitive is far less than a standard fantasy baseball league. We usually also charge were all of the money goes to the top 3 finishers. Having a pool keeps the league ultra competitive throughout the season.

Here are the basic stats we use for each quick ball league. It has to be head to head with 5x5 scoring. you can add categories but we like less is more. we usually have 12-16 teams, any less just doesn't seem to work. You can have more than 16 but we have not tried this. We have always run the leagues on Yahoo. Yahoo has the easiest interface. The draft is always live online snake style. Our roster size and simplicity is what sets this league apart from otter leagues. Here is what our rosters look like in a quick ball league.

Offense: 5 spots
1 - C (catcher)
1 - CI (corner infielder either first base or third base)
1 - MI (Middle infielder either 2nd base or short stop)
1 - OF (Out fielder)
1 - UTIL (utility)

Pitching:
1 - SP (starting pitcher just like a real team each day)
2 - RP (Relief pitcher)

Bench:
5 - B
1 - DL

With only 14 total roster spots the amount of research required to make a team is minimal, however paying attention for a few minutes each day will help you win your league.

Some additional rules that we have added are:
Max moves per week we have set to 2. This keeps people from churning through pitchers
Minimum innings pitched we have set to 21 innings. This is because the first year we did this someone figured that they could just start two closers and win saves, ERA, and whip without worrying about SP. but increasing the maximum innings to 21 this makes someone have a starter for almost every day.

That's the basics. Look back here in a few days to find some great strategies for this kind of Fantasy baseball. And remember that when you are looking for a quicker way to play fantasy baseball try out quick ball.

3rd baseman Tier Rankings 2009

2009-02-18T12:53:00.003-05:00

Every year in fantasy baseball the 3rd base position has been extremely deep. Not this year. This year 3rd base is one of those positions that position scarcity enthusiasts pay a lot of attention too. If you don't get somebody in the 1st tier then the drop off to tier 2 is quite extreme. Fantasy baseball managers have always been able to wait till the middle rounds to draft a 3rd baseman, however this year if you use this strategy you will end up with a weak player at that position. Here are my 3rd baseman rankings using a tier ranking system. I will rank these players using a basic 5x5 h2h league. Projected fantasy stats will be show like: (HR/RBI/R/AVG/SB)

Tier 1.
This is the best of them. These three fantasy all stars will all be gone before the end of the first round of your fantasy baseball draft. This tier of 3rd baseman are 5 category contributors. If you end up with one of these 3 players you will have a great chance of winning your league.

1. Alex Rodriguez. (44/140/110/.310/20)
Steroids or not this guy is a fantasy stud. Even though he has just been charged with using steroids this guy is the best player to ever play the game. Everyone is protecting him to have a down fantasy season however i am predicting the opposite. Now even A-Rod has something to prove, he needs to prove that he is the best, he needs to show them he is still the best even off the juice. Look for him to be an obvious AL MVP candidate. He could be in a tier all of his own. Ohh yeah and all this is coming from a Red Sox fan, yes that hurts to admit he is the best, but lies wont get you anywhere.

2. David Wright. (30/115/120/.300/17)
The sky is the limit for this kid. He puts up great numbers every year. He is only 26 years off age. Look for him to be gone in the first 5 picks. Yet another 5 category contributor at the hot corner. David wright definitely belongs in the first tier of third baseman.

3. Miguel Cabrera. (42/117/95/.303/2)
Miggy will also have 1st base eligibility making him a great tool for your fantasy baseball team. The last of the "big 3" of third baseman. He has quite a ceiling and could easily top 140 RBI's in the Detroit offense. He is also young making him great in a keeper league.

That's the end of tier 1 for third baseman. This year in fantasy baseball after the first tier there are very few options at 3rd base. Try and use your first pick to get one of these guys or don't even bother. These 3 will carry your offense in many weeks.

Tier 2.
Remember when i said there was an immense drop off, i was not kidding. These guys are scary to draft and a few of them go quite early in the draft. if you must draft one of these guys wait for one that has a history of putting up consistent numbers.

4. Evan Longoria. (30/105/95/.280/10)
This kid tore it up in 2008. He carried the Rays throughout the year. Look for a slight sophomore slump. However he will still be a solid contributor throughout the season. His average is significantly lower than the third baseman in the first tier.

5. Aramis Ramirez. (25/115/100/.295/3)
He seems to be in his prime. Look for him to put up a consistent 25-30 home runs each year. He plays for the cubs so there should be plenty of players on base for him to drive in. look for this kid to go in the 4th round, if he is still there take him and you wont regret it.

6. Chipper Jones. (20/85/90/.320/0)
These number will be put up in about 450 at bats. Look for a back up 3rd baseman to get the other 150 at bats you would get. However this guys when he does play will put up some great numbers. Look out for injuries as they could quickly end his season.

7. Garrett Atkins. (22/95/87/.290/0)
His numbers continue to fall as time goes on. Draft him and expect about these numbers, definitely wont be any higher. If you want a 3rd baseman with no upside than go for it, but i suggest waiting for someone else.

Tier 3.
These guys are better to wait for than wasting an early pick for someone in the second tier. The drop off from tier 2 to tier 3 is not as big. Look for most of these guys to go past the 6th round.

8. Kevin Youkilis. (25/110/100/.285/2)
Kevin is a great fantasy player. He plays every day and plays in a great lineup where mean on base is a site he often sees. Look for him to lower his HR and AVG however he will still get those 100+ RBI's. This guy is great to wait for.

9. Ryan Zimmerman. (25/90/80/.275/1)
He now has another big swinger in Adam Dunn. Look for these two to put up some respectable numbers.

Tier 4.

10. Edwin Encarnacion. (25/75/70/.265/1)
The Reds are good this year? They could be. They have a lot of young talent. Hitting can be contagious and if those young studs around him begin to hit he could as well. Look for my projections to be the floor for him with a lot of upside.

11. Chris Davies. (25/100/75/.270/0)
This is a great sleeper candidate at the 3rd base position. Even though he falls all the way to the 4th tier of third baseman he has a lot of upside. Again this guy like Edwin has quite the ceiling, lets see what they can do!

12. Mark Reynolds. (30/90/80/.245/0)
The Adam Dunn of third baseman. He has amazing RBI potential however his average, well SUCKS. If you draft this guy make sure you have a few guys that can carry you in the average category.

13. Kevin Kouzmanoff. (22/90/70/.255/0)
if you need 25 home runs, then here you go, but don't expect any more than that from him.

14. Alex Gordon. (27/83/80/.275/10)
Still has limitless potential. Look for this to be the year he begins to break out. If you can get this guy after the 15th round, take him and wait and see what happens.

15. Adrian Beltre. (20/80/75/.280/5)
The model consistency. These are the numbers you will get, no more no less. Take him and pencil in the above numbers and move on to your next pick.

That is the end of my third baseman tier rankings for 2009. As you can see the drop off after the first tier is quite substantial. Try to get someone in the first tier, otherwise wait till the later rounds to fill the hot corner position on your roster.

The Importance of pitching in Fantasy baseball

2009-02-17T09:06:00.002-05:00

Every year there is always someone in a fantasy baseball league that goes completely against what all the numbers tell him to do and drafts pitching within the first few rounds. If you have more pitchers than batters after round 5 your team will be bad. The theory behind this is that hitters play almost every day while pitchers pitch every fifth day, so there contribution is not as much. Now I think that this strategy holds true for head to head leagues more than roto leagues. In roto leagues you eventually have to win a few of the pitching categories in order to win your league. However in head to head fantasy baseball you need hitters in order to have a chance. If you want to win your head to head fantasy baseball league it is imperative that you wait until at least the 6th round to draft your first pitcher.

If you are drafting a pitcher in the first two rounds of your fantasy baseball draft you are missing out on five tool players. Even the best pitchers only contribute in 4 of the 5 main pitching categories. Your first two draft picks should be the core of your team. These guys should play every day and should be a serious contributor in all categories. Drafting pitchers too early is a risk that any serious manager should avoid. Having a solid ace is necessary but drafting any pitcher n the first few rounds is a wasted pick.

In roto leagues having a stud pitcher that pitches every 5 days is key. However do not waste your first few picks on one of these guys. Look for candidates that could break out. Look at Lincecum last year. He was drafted usually after the 15th round. He is now going in the 2nd round, sometimes before Santana. There will be another Lincecum this year, who will it be? Also there will be contributors that you will be able to pick up off of waivers. Stay active and make sure you give these waiver wire studs a chance. Cliff Lee and Chad Billingsley are just two examples. Wait till the 5th round to draft your first pitcher in a roto league. However do not force this, if there is no one worth taking that early don’t worry there are plenty of guys that will out produce there draft position, you just have to find them.

Having hitters in fantasy baseball is always more important than having a solid pitching staff. A fantasy baseball pitcher does not contribute ever day. Anyone that you spend a first round pick on should contribute on a daily basis. Make sure to check back later for some of my sleeping pitchers. These guys could be the next Lincecum and could be essential to winning your fantasy baseball league.

Mock Draft 2009, round 2

2009-02-16T12:40:00.001-05:00

Here are the results for mock draft 2009 round 2.

13. Mark. Mark Teixeira, 1B NYY - With taking Johan in the first round i am going to need some offensive production. Big Tex will put up some crooked numbers being in the Yankee lineup. That lineup is possibly the best to ever play the game.

14. David. Jimmy Rollins, SS Phi- He competes with the best. J-Ro is known as part of the big three when it comes to short stops, why not take him a full round after Hanley?

15. Aaron. Matt Holiday, OF Oak- He is out of Colorado, lets see what this kid can do in Oakland. He could be a potential bust, or he could hit 130 RBI's Ill take my chances.

16. Mikey. Tim Lincecum, SP SF- The former Cy-Young is gonna only improve. I always like to have an Ace and i feel this guy will be better than Santana this year.

17. Greg. Carlos Beltran, OF NYM - Year after year this guy produces. I like consistency and that is what i am going to go for.

18. Mat. Lance Berkman, 1B Hou- An amazing first half last year. He put up God like numbers. If does the same this year i will be trading him quickly!

19. Ryan. Ian Kinsler, 2B Tex- I dont like taking a 2nd baseman this early but i just cant leave him on the table any longer.

20. Sean. Prince Fielder, 1B Mil- One of the disappointments last year, look for him to fix it and return to 2007 form.

21. Chris. BJ Upton, OF TB- Unlike the stadium he plays in, there is no ceiling for this guy. The potential is incredible.

22. Bells. Alfonso Soriano, OF CHC- This guy seems to get forgotten. Although he doesn't play 2nd base anymore he is still a great asset to any fantasy baseball team.

23. Jon. Evan Longoria, 3B TB- The only other option at this point is C.C. and i hate to take a pitcher this early.

24. Frank. CC Sabathia, SP NYY - Look for C.C. to win 20 games. That Yankees lineup is a force. he will always have great run support.

That finishes round 2 of our mock draft. Round 1

Fantasy Baseball Draft Formats

2009-02-15T15:21:00.000-05:00

While Drafting your fantasy baseball team there are many ways that a league can go about this. Since the introduction of the Internet as a way to easily play fantasy baseball leagues have been drafting with software using a certain website. These sites have software that allows a commissioner of the league to set up the rules, and then allows the other teams to pick there players in a snake draft format.

Snake Drafting is when fantasy baseball drafters select there team in picks. Each team gets one pick per round with the total number of rounds being equal to the number of roster spots on each team. Each team gets one pick per round with the team that picks first in the previous round picks last in the current round. This is what is called a snake draft. The advantages to a snake draft are that league parity is fairly easy to obtain.

Auction Drafting is when each fantasy manager has a set amount of money to use for there fantasy baseball team. There is then an auction of baseball players where fantasy managers can use this money to purchase the players to use for there team. A player is usually named and then teams make bids on this player according to how much they feel he is worth. The team that bids the highest gets that player on his team. This continues until all roster spots are filled.

There are also many ways in which to conduct a fantasy draft. The funnest is to get together with your friends and hold a live draft with all fantasy managers in the same room. This works especially well for the auction format. However the downside to all this is Fantasy baseball draft software needs to be purchased, otherwise it can get quite confusing.

The most widely popular and easiest by far is to hold your fantasy baseball draft online. You can do a slow draft in a forum. These take a long time and need to be started as soon as possible but they work quite well because everyone can be there. Snake drafts can be held online as well using a hosting site such as yahoo, or ESPN. These services work quite well and best of all are free.

Its not the format of your draft that matters, its how you draft. Having a strategy and understanding the draft format are essential to being king of your league.

The Importance of Mock Drafts

2009-02-14T09:05:00.000-05:00

During every fantasy baseball season i have my ups and my downs. I have teams that do extremely well and teams that seem like i have to look for any angle just to make the fantasy baseball playoffs. The teams that struggle through the season are usually the teams that I drafted earlier in the year. These fantasy baseball teams are usually weak at certain positions and have little to no strategy. I sometimes feel that all of this losing could be taken care of if i had done better preparation for the fantasy baseball draft. What better way to prepare than a fantasy baseball mock draft. A fantasy baseball mock draft is like practice for the real thing. Without practice you are just going into the draft blind and will end up with many fantasy baseball team that look like MLB practice squads. There are many lessons that can be learned from a mock draft; also you can test a draft strategy to see if it works this year.

Most people skip the whole fantasy baseball mock draft practice sessions because they just don’t have time. However these are the same people that complain about losing their league. Preparation is key in order to have a chance to winning your fantasy baseball league. Fantasy baseball mock drafts are a great way to prepare for the upcoming season.

When doing a fantasy baseball mock draft remember that it is just a mock. You need to take in to account that a lot of other people are using this time to test their own draft strategies. If a strategy works during the mock draft it doesn’t necessarily mean that it will work doing the real thing. Make sure that the draft site you use for your mock drafts allows chat so as you can inquire from others why they made each pick.

Although a lot of fantasy baseball players don’t take the mock draft to seriously there is still a lot of useful information to be obtained from doing a mock draft. You can see where each player is getting taken (ADP). You can also see how late or early a player is being taken. You can use this information to find out if you can wait on a sleeper or if you will have to reach quickly in order to get a player you really like this year. Mock drafts are a great tool to learn when your fantasy baseball sleepers are being selected.

Mock drafts are a great way to fine tune your draft strategy. They are great tools in finding when each player is being taken and when you can wait to pick a sleeper candidate. The mock draft is something that is often skipped by fantasy baseball managers however it is an important step in winning your league. If you want to have an advantage over your fellow fantasy baseball drafters then a mock draft is the way to do so!

1st Base Rankings

2009-02-13T12:07:00.002-05:00

Fantasy baseball has always viewed the 1st base position as one of power. A good portion of your home runs and RBI's will come from your fantasy baseball first baseman. In order to win your fantasy baseball league you need to do a lot of research. Research takes time, so i have taken the liberty of doing the hard part for you. Instead of just ranking the players i have decided to use a tier ranking system. This system allows you to see where the drop off between first baseman occurs and where each first baseman compares to the next. Understanding how tier systems work is a great way to help you win your fantasy baseball league.

Tier 1 has the power first baseman. However most of these guys will score you quite a few runs as well. Drafting one of these guys in the first two rounds will not be a mistake. These guys are what it could take to win the fantasy baseball season in 2009. When reading these rankings remember that i use (HR/RBI/R/AVG/SB) to predict there stats for the 2009 season.

Tier 1.

1. Albert Pujols. (40/115/105/.325/10)
Hurt, not hurt doesn't matter this guy is one of the best to ever play the game. He is a five stat contributor and can carry your team through the season. Even hurt last year he put up MVP numbers which is incredible, look for this guy to go in the top 5 picks of the draft.

2. Miguel Cabrera. (40/120/105/.295/2)
Detroit's lineup will not disappoint this year. They were expected to score 1000 runs last year; they will make up for it this year. Look for this offense to be explosive, the best in baseball.

3. Ryan Howard. (45/115/100/.270/0)
Plays in the best hitters’ park. However he was a disappointment which is why i have him at number 3 for first baseman, He will most like hit 40+ homeruns so the power will continue but look for a drop off in RBI's.

4. Mark Tiexera. (35/125/110/.305/1)
The Yankees are paying him big money to produce, and produce he will. That lineup is possibly the best EVER in baseball. Hitting is contagious and Tiexera now plays with the best of the best.

Tier 2 will be full of plenty of players. If you don’t get one of the above players don’t waste a pick reaching for someone in tier 2.

Tier 2.

5. Prince Fielder. (32/105/95/.275/2)
What a disappointment he was last year. Look for these to be more like his number in 2009. He is the best in the 2nd tier, but the rest of these guys have a great chance to outperform the prince in fantasy baseball 2009.

6. Justin Morneau. (28/130/105/.315/0)
He has the potential to hit 30 homeruns and drive in 130 RBI's. These are great numbers. He will also help your teams BA.

7. Lance Berkman. (30/100/95/.300/15)
Nobody got off to a hotter start than lance last year, but boy did he cool down after the all star break. Look for him to finish were he finished last year.

8. Kevin Youkilis. (30/105/105/.305/2)
YOOOUUUUKKKK had a great season last year. He will repeat those numbers again this year, and he has 3rd baseman eligibility. Look for this guy to be a great fantasy baseball contributor in 2009.

9. Adrian Gonzalez. (30/100/95/.280/0)
Another first baseman that is a lock for 30 HR's. Take this guy in your fantasy baseball draft and don’t look back. If you can get him in the 6th round of your fantasy baseball draft, take him.

10. Carlos Pena. (35/110/90/.260/0)
This guy is a power house, he will hurt you in average but a guy you can get in the 8th round that will get you 30+ home runs, sign me up!

Tier 3.

11. Aubrey Huff. (25/95/85/.290/2)
No one knows what he can really do. He was a highly scouted prospect just a few years ago but has been a severe disappointment to fantasy baseball owners. Draft him if you feel like taking a risk, and then keep your fingers crossed.

12. Carlos Delgado. (35/105/85/.265/0)
The Mets will be a force in the NL east, as I have said many times before hitting is contagious. Take him then pencil in 30+ HR's and 100+ RBI's

13. Derek Lee. (23/100/90/.285/5)
Anotehr risky option at first base. He will most like get injured, if he stays healthy though, look out!

14. Joey Voto. (25/95/80/.285/5)
What a rookie season for this kid. He will get you over 20 HR's everything else is up in the air though.

15. James Loney. (17/105/95/.280/5)
Try not to draft him, he should be your last resort during your fantasy baseball 2009 draft.

Drafting your fantasy baseball team is the most important part of the season. It is obviously where Fantasy seasons are won and lost. Look to get yourself one of the first baseman in the first two tiers or just toss in the towel and ask your commissioner when the next season will start.

Top 10 Fantasy Starting Pitchers 2009

2009-02-12T21:19:00.004-05:00

Defense wins championships is one of the most famous sports quotes of all time. However once fantasy sports have come around that strategy has become less viable. Offense has been what is used to win championships. In fantasy baseball season 2009 the holds true however there are a few pitchers worth looking at in the first couple of rounds. These guys can be considered your fantasy aces. If you find it necessary to draft one of these guys then be prepared to loose some offensive production. If you play in a basic Head to Head league then drafting a stud pitcher will help you easily win your pitching stats for the week.

These ten guys are the best of the best. They are all going to be Cy young contenders and could help you win your fantasy baseball league. These pitchers will contribute with every start they make, not just by getting you a win but by lowering your overall ERA and increasing your strike out total.

In order for someone to be considered a fantasy baseball pitching stud they need to have past experience, contribute in at least four of the five main pitching categories, and not be a high risk for injury.

1. Johan Santana.
2. C.C. Sabathia
3. Cole Hammels
4. Tim Lincecum
5. Roy Halladay
6. Brandon Webb
7. Josh Becket
8. Jake Peavy
9. Cliff Lee
10. Dan Haren

These are the guys that if you want to waste an early pick on a pitcher they are almost worth it. I would however not select any of them before the 4th round. if any of the top 4 are still around then take them, however i suggest you use these picks to land your self a 5 category hitter. Offensive players play every day so they are more of a contribution to your fantasy team. Waiting until the later rounds of the draft is your best bet to winning your fantasy baseball league.

Tier Rankings for Catchers 2009

2009-02-12T08:31:00.003-05:00

The catcher position in past seasons has been one that was just filler. For real Baseball teams the defense that a catcher provides is far more important than there offensive value. Since all we care about as fantasy baseball managers is offensive production the catcher spot has usually been a position that is drafted later in the draft. Here are my tier rankings for fantasy baseball catchers in 2009. When looking at this the player predicted stats are formatted as follows: (HR/RBI/R/AVG/SB)

The tier one of catchers is usually drafted in the 4th through 6th rounds. The fantasy managers that draft a catcher in these early rounds are usually managers that are using the position scarcity strategy. It is my suggestion however that even in using this strategy you wait till the 2nd tier of fantasy baseball catchers to begin drafting them. So with out any more of a hold up here are my Fantasy baseball tier rankings for catchers:

Tier 1.

1. Joe Mauer. (12/85/95/.330/5)
Joe lives on the base paths. He has an absolute ridiculous on base percentage. He will help your team with batting average, and score plenty of runs. If you are looking for a catcher that will play almost every day and score a lot of runs Mr. Mauer is your man!

2. Brian McCann. (20/85/60/.290/2)
Look for McCann to take a step back in production. However his numbers will still keep him in the top tier of fantasy baseball catchers. Don't forget that Brian plays for a falling team and could be traded at any time to a true competitor.

3. Russell Martin. (12/65/85/.280/20)
A catcher with 20 steal potential, that is quite un-heard of. if you are looking for a super speedy team and would like some speed at the catcher position the Russell is the catcher for you. He is the only catcher in this years draft that has 20/20 potential, however i don't see him increasing his home runs over last year.

That sums is up for tier 1 of fantasy baseball catchers. The only reason that anyone should be drafting these guys is if they are using the position scarcity fantasy baseball strategy.

Tier 2.

4. Victor Martinez. (20/100/80/.295/0)
If he is healthy this year he should hit at least 20 home runs. If you feel the big V-Mart will return back to form and can stay healthy all year then wait till the 1st tier of catcher's have been taking, wait till around the 7th round and steal him because he will be a bargain that late in the draft.

5. Geovany Soto. (20/80/70/.280/0)
After putting up insane fantasy baseball numbers last year i would expect a small sophomore slump from him. He will still be a great catcher to have on any team, however don't look for a repeat of last year.

6. Ryan Doumit. (14/70/70/.310/2)
He plays for the pirates... With no one hitting around him his RBI's could go down.

7. Chris Iannetta. (22/75/60/.265/0)
He plays in the hitter friendly park. However the Rockies offense is well, a bit rocky. they have lost Holiday, however if this guy plays in more than 100 games this year look for him to be a HR factor on your team.

Tier 3.

8. Matt Wieters. (no idea)
How can a guy that has never played in a big league game get this kind of a ranking? He deserves it. The question is no longer if he gets called up, its when. When he does make sure he is on your roster.

9. Jorge Posada. (15/80/85/.280/2)
He is getting old. However he plays for the Yankees. its pretty much a guarantee that every time he comes up to the plate there will be a man on base.

10. Bengie Molina. (18/85/45/.275/0)
His RBI totals last year were insane! look for them to drop back to earth.

Tier 4.

11. Dioner Navarro. (8/60/45/.290/2)
He plays for the Rays. They have a great offense and hitting can be contagious.

12. Mike Napoli. (20/70/50/.245/5)
Can he play an entire season? This guy can hit if the Angels will let him. He is a risk, but the reward is a catcher that could possibly hit 25+ home runs. He is in the 4th tier because of the risk factor.

13. A.J. Pierzynski. (10/55/60/.280/1)
He is getting older and plays Catcher. His numbers will drop. But he will get the job done, her certainly will not hurt you in any category.

14. Pablo Sandoval. (10/75/70/.300/0)
This guy is the next Joe Mauer in the making. He gives you average and RBI's. If he gets more playing time his numbers should reach some nice heights. He also has 1st and 3rd base eligibility.

15. Ramon Hernandez. (10/ 60/50/.265/0)
These number are terrible, look to get someone else.

With the catcher position being so weak this year it really doesn't matter who you get, just get someone that you believe will play ever day. That sums up my Tier rankings for Fantasy Catchers. Make sure to check out my other fantasy baseball tier rankings here.

Undervalued Fantasy Players 2009

2009-02-11T15:39:00.003-05:00

Every year there are players that are drafted way after there final Fantasy value for the year. I always find myself wondering why i didn't realize these fantasy studs before the draft. However coming up with these players takes lot of time and research. So what will you find here, i have done all the hard work for you! So with out taking up to much more of your time here is a few fantasy players that will outperform there average draft position.

1. David Ortiz
Big Papi had a down year last year. He was hurt and missed a substantial amount of playing time. Everyone is all ready to doubt him because Manny is gone, however don't forget Papi is a force, look for him to bounce back this year. Papi's fantasy ADP has been around 50th. Look to get him in the 4th round if he is still around, he will not disappoint.

2. Carlos Pena
Another Slugger that is being undervalued. Pena in most mock drafts has been going 65th overall. if you can get him in the 5th round, take him. Sluggers that have the potential to score 50HR and over 100RBI should not still be on the table when the 6th round begins. If you want some serious power on your fantasy baseball team, Pena is the man.

3. Cliff Lee
This guys shows some serious potential and any pitcher with his potential should not have an average draft position of 68th over all. If you are looking for an ace that you can snag after the 6th round the Lee is your guy! He plays for a great team (hopefully) and will have a great defense behind him. Look for Cliff lee to yet again be a cy Young candidate.

That is just 3 players that i feel are being undervalued in this years Mock Drafts. Make sure to check out my post about Fantasy Busts in 2009!

3 Busts of Fantasy Baseball 2009

2009-02-11T12:00:00.003-05:00

Every Fantasy baseball season has them, the players that are so hyped up, but don't live up to there mark. The sexy picks of the year, that just flat out flop. This year there are certainly quite a few. Here are 3 of my "favorite" Bust candidates.

1. C.C. Sabathia:
He is going before the 3rd round! This makes no sense to me. Here is a guy that has had one good year and everyone is ready to rank him right up there with Johan Santana? He won 19 games in 2007, and 17 in 2008. He know plays for the Yankees, but it back in the very competitive AL East. Sabathia is talented however should not be going before the 5th round of any draft. C.C. Sabathia will be one of the biggest busts of 2009.

Bold "bust" predictions: 13w 185K 3.85ERA 1.25WHIP

2. Ian Kinsler
Like Sabathia Kinsler is going in the 2nd round of most drafts. Sometimes even before Chase Utley. Kinsler will not finish as the top 2nd baseman in 2009. Kinsler will be a huge disappointment in 2009, and will certainly be a bust.

Bold Bust Predictions: 15HR 90R 55RBI 15SB .270avg

3. Josh Hamilton
Last year was fluke. This guy is going in the first round, you will not get first round worthy numbers from him. He will be the biggest Fantasy bust of 2009!

Bold Predictions: 25HR 95R 90RBI 8SB .285avg (these are great numbers, but not for a first round pick)

These are just 3 of the many fantasy baseball busts of 2009. Look for more to come soon! And don't forget to check out our mock draft results!

Mock Draft 2009, Round 1

2009-02-11T08:45:00.005-05:00

Here are the results and comments about Round one of the Mock Draft 2009.

1. Frank: Albert Pujols, 1B - STL. This guy is a machine. First base is actually one of the weaker positions this year, I’ll take the best at that position, and move on

2. Jon: Hanley Ramirez, SS - FLA. The best of the best. He will hands down win me a few of the weeks match ups; don't know how i can pass him up. He is an asset to any fantasy baseball team in 2009.

3. Bells. Alex Rodriguez, 3B - NYY. Mr. Consistent. Even with the recent steroid rumors, ohh wait he admitted to it; look for this guy to put up monster numbers during the fantasy baseball 2009 season.

4. Chris. David Wright, 3B - NYM. He has yet to hit his ceiling, hoping this is his year. He puts up outrageous numbers every year, but the sky is the limit with him. Look for wright to be part of MVP talks in the NL

5. Sean. Jose Reyes, SS - NYM. Position Scarcity has been my plan this year, and i am sticking to it. You always want speed from your shortstop in fantasy baseball; this guy will give it to me.

6. Ryan. Grady Sizemore, OF - CLE. Speed, power, and RBI? What else can you ask for from your first round pick. Outfield is also a position that is scarce this year.

7. Mat. Ryan Braun, OF - MIL. I like to take chances when it comes to fantasy baseball. This guy has so much potential, and he is very young. safe picks will not win championships!

8. Greg. Miguel Cabrera, 1B/3B - DET. Detroit was terrible last year, actually that was too nice, THEY SUCKED!!! Look for them to score those 1,000 runs this year.

9. Mikey. Chase Utley, 2B - PHI. He plays for a deep position, and he might start the season hurt. However once he is on my active fantasy baseball roster this guy will tear it up!

10. Aaron. Ryan Howard, 1B - PHI. His average is horrible, but no one will get you more RBI and HR at 1B, what’s not to like?

11. David. Josh Hamilton, OF - TEX. We have seen what he can do, we have seen what all the hype is about. This guy is explosive and the Texas lineup is a force!

12. Mark. Johan Santana, SP - NYM. Defense wins Fantasy Baseball Championships. I am going to stick with that!

So the first round is up, nothing out of order so far, look for some of these mock drafters to begin reaching for breakout players in round 2 of fantasy baseball mock draft 2009.

Tier Rankings for Shortstops

2009-02-10T15:15:00.004-05:00

And so I begin my tier rankings for my favorite position to do research on, the short stop. This year you have your trio, and then everybody else. The 2^nd tier is such a big drop that there are almost 3-4 rounds in between the selection of the last 1^st tier shortstop all the way to the first 2^nd tier shortstop selected. There is almost no reason to reach for a 2^nd tier shortstop; there are plenty to go around.

Tier 1. These 3 have been up here for a long time. In fact 2 of them have been in the top 10 for a long time. These guys do it all, they not only will get you quite a few steals but they have the ability to get the home run as well. So here they are…

1. Hanley Ramirez. (33/85/125/.315/37)

With SS being one of the weakest positions look for Hanley to be off the board with the first 3 picks. If it is your turn to pick and Hanley is still on the board, TAKE HIM. He is one of the few players to join the 30/30 club, and look for him to do that for years to come.

2. Jose Reyes. (15/60/120/.300/57)

Just like Hanley Jose will most likely be gone very quickly. His lack of power however scares me and wasting my first pick on someone that will not help me in HR or RBI is a risk I don’t like to take.

3. Jimmy Rollins. (20/75/115/.280/45)

The third part of the big trio. Jimmy Rollins most likely will still be there during the 2^nd round of your fantasy baseball draft, if he is take him. He will not disappoint you either. Like Hanley he has a better chance to hit for power, and he will get you the steals.

There it is the 1^st tier of shortstop for the fantasy baseball 2009 season. These guys will all be gone before the end of the 2^nd round, after that it probably will be deep into the 6^th round before another shortstop is taken.

Tier 2.

4. Jhonny Peralta. (25/90/100/.275/2)

Yes you are reading correct! Johnny Peralta is my 4^th SS to be selected. He has great potential to give you power at a position where you wouldn’t normally get it. A SS that you can get in the 6^th round or later that will give you 20+ home runs and 90 RBI is something I will take any day.

5. Stephen Drew. (18/75/95/.285/5)

Drew will most likely be gone long before Peralta, this is a mistake as I think Peralta will have the better season.

6. Troy Tulowitzki. (15/90/85/.275/5)

Tulo will also most likely go before Peralta, I am telling you wait! Tulo had a great 2007 year however was not so amazing in 2008. Look for his number to improve over last year, however don’t expect the all star stuff we saw in 2007.

7. Derek Jeter. (10/70/105/.290/10)

Mr. Constant. There is no upside with Jeter, however there is no downside either, if you want a safe pick at SS go with the old man!

8. Michael Young. (8/80/88/.295/8)

He won’t give you power, but the rangers lineup is loaded, so he will score you plenty of runs and drive in a couple as well. Young also at some point will be moving to 3b, this will give you some flexibility later on in the year.

9. J.J. Hardy. (25/70/90/.280/2)

His power is something to be had this late in the draft. If you can get him late go for it, but these numbers are the highest he will see, her certainly can be inconsistent at times, so be prepared to have a backup.

10. Miguel Tejada. (10/80/80/.280/5)

What used to be a force has been dropping in value year after year. With Tejada you know what you get though, a player that will play every day and drive in some runs.

Tier 3.

11. Orlando Cabrera. (8/55/85/.275/20)

Plays for a declining team. Look for his numbers to possibly be worse than what I have predicted.

12. Mike Aviles. (11/65/80/.280/10)

Too bad he plays for the Royals, this kid has talent.

13. Fafael Furcal. (8/50/70/.300/20)

If you feel he can play a whole season than draft him, but if you have any doubt then steer clear.

14. Yunel Escobar. (5/55/80/.295/1)

Here is a classic case of a player that got over hyped last year…

15. Edgar Renteria. (12/50/70/.280/10)

He plays for the Giants now… Enough said…

Well that about sums it up for my Tier Rankings of shortstops for fantasy baseball 2009. Stay tuned for my long tier rankings for outfielders…

2nd Baseman Rankings

2009-02-10T11:29:00.005-05:00

2^nd base in past years has been where you got a good portion of your runs and SB. 2^nd base has almost always been known as a place where you can get some speed. 2^nd base has always been known as a week position where you just drafted someone late and hope for the best. However this year it seems that there are some power numbers to be had at 2^nd base as well. Here is my tier ranking of 2^nd baseman for fantasy baseball season 2009.

1^st tier. This is the best of the best. These guys are not only the best 2^nd baseman, but will out perform other stars at other positions. However to get one of these guys you are going to have to spend a high draft pick.

1. Chase Utley. (30/115/110/.295/20)

This guy can play baseball. He has the power of a first baseman, the speed of a middle infielder and the RBI production that can compete with the likes of A-Rod and company. Even hurt this guy out produced all second basemen last year. And did I mention that he plays for the Phillies? The highest powered offense in the NL.

2. Dustin Pedroia. (15/85/120/.315/17)

He won rookie of the year in 2007 for a reason, he knows how to play. You want this guy on your team, plain and simple. He plays for another High powered offense.

3. Ian Kinsler. (25/75/100/.285/25)

This guy when on a hot steak is unstoppable. If he can stay healthy this season look for this guy to compete for the AL MVP. Look for Kinsler to be off the board before the end of the 3^rd round.

That is all there is for the 1^st tier of second baseman. If you don’t get one of the above mentioned names then your fantasy season could be tough as the remaining talent should not even be allowed to play in the same league as the big three listed above.

2^nd tier. This list of guys is no competition for the first tier. If you missed out on one of the big 3 then make sure to get a guy in the 2^nd tier.

4. Brandon Phillips. (22/80/90/.265/20)

Like I said these guys are not even in the same league. He has no plate discipline, in fact in watching him sometimes I feel like he just swings for the fences with every at bat. However when he gets on base, look out as he is always a stolen base threat.

5. Brian Roberts. (8/60/90/.285/30)

This guy is a stolen base machine. If you are weak in that category and need some help then target Brian Roberts late in the 5^th round, you wont regret it.

6. Dan Uggla. (25/95/90/.260/5)

No one has ever question Uggla’s power. However his speed and average is something that could be improved. If you are looking for some power production from the normally weak 2^nd base position then Uggla is your man.

7. Robinson Cano. (15/80/90/.285/2)

This guy is either Hot or cold, if you draft him you may want to draft another 2^nd baseman to play the first half of the season.

3^rd Tier. Ohhh boy if you are looking at this part of the list you are in some trouble. There are a few sleepers to be found here, but beware if you draft one of them because it may not work out.

8. Alexi Ramirez. (25/90/85/.285/25)

Who knows what his numbers will really look like? This guys is a great sleeper, the sky is the limit for him. If you are looking to take a chance on your 2^nd baseman then Alexi is your guy.

9. Jose Lopez. (15/80/80/.275/5)

The sky is not so high when it comes to Jose. It is my feeling that last year was the best we will see from the Marlins 2^nd Baseman.

10. Rickie Weeks. (17/50/90/.240/20)

If you believe he will stay healthy then go ahead, but I wouldn’t bet my fantasy season on it.

11. Mark Derosa. (20/85/85/.280/5)

2^nd baseman with a chance to hit 20 homeruns, sign me up!

12. Kelly Johnson. (12/65/75/.265/10)

He showed promise, but I just don’t see much help…

13. Akinori Iwamura. (10/50/90/.285/10)

He plays for the Rays. One of the best teams in the high-powered AL east. Hitting can be contagious and I expect the Rays to hit well this year.

14. Howie Kendrick. (8/65/65/.310/15)

Can you say Risky?

15. Placido Polanco. (10/60/85/.305/5)

The tigers should have one of the best offenses in baseball. Expect Polanco to score a lot of runs if things go the way they should in the motor city.

I wont even divulge into the players after this list, if you don’t have one of these names, well then good luck to you. This list of 2^nd baseman using the tier ranking system will be a great help in your goal to win your fantasy baseball league.

Fantasy Baseball Mock Drafting

2009-02-10T08:25:00.000-05:00

Before we can even begin our mock drafting series i think we need to answer a question everyone has, "what is a mock draft?" A mock draft to put it simply is the practice draft. Like every practice it prepares you for the real thing. The early rounds of a mock draft are not all that helpful, however once you get past the obvious selections you can see where some of your sleepers will fall too. Fantasy Baseball Mock drafts are an essential part to the planning process for all fantasy baseball managers.
Every year some of my closest friends, and some not so close; get together and have a Fantasy baseball mock draft. We usually do this at the beginning of February, however some of us have moved away so we have decided to hold the Mock draft on a forum this year. The settings for our mock drafts are usually head to head 5x5 scoring. This will be a 12 team league and for the purpose of this blog i will show you the results with comments for the first 6 rounds, after that i will simply just post the results. Alright so without further ado here are the mock drafters along with there team name and draft position:

Frank. Run Hanley Run!
Jon. Evil Empire
Bells. "Yes you just lost to a girl!"
Chris. wicked awsome
Sean. DL central
Ryan. ZooKeeper
Mat. Ashtray
Greg. GapGo
Mikey. Celtics Fan
Aaron. DD
David. IWIN
Mark. Tex

So there it is the list of the 12 mock drafters, there team name, and their draft position. Come back soon for the Mock Draft Results!

Head to Head Scoring

2009-02-09T09:51:00.000-05:00

Head to Head scoring has quickly become the most popular fantasy baseball scoring system. This is a system in which you compete against another fantasy owner to see who can compile the best stats over a set time period, usually a week.

Each statistical category that is used for scoring purposes for the league will count as one game for that week. So if you play in a 5x5 head to head league there are 10 categories that count for scoring, so 10 games are played that week. The win for each category goes to the fantasy owner who’s team accumulates the most points for that category.

An example would be if your team hits more home runs than your opponent then you would receive a win in the home run category. If there is a tie then you would both receive a tie for that category for the week. If you did not accumulate the most points for the category then you will receive a loss for that category.

At the end of each week every team will accumulate wins and losses. These wins and loses are accumulated over the season and will be used to determine who does and does not make the playoffs. The fantasy owners with the best records will be the teams in the playoffs.

Rotisserie Scoring System

2009-02-09T09:20:00.000-05:00

For the purpose of this post I will assume that the league is a basic 5x5 rotisserie-scoring league with 10 members.

Scoring Points

In rotisserie scoring leagues teams total scores are ranked from best to worst in each statistical category. An example is that the first place team in a given category will score 10 points in that category. The second place team would score 9. If there was however a tie for first within the category then both players would each score 9.5 points.

Categories Expressed with Averages

Categories that are expressed with an average (ERA, WHIP, and AVG.) will be expressed with 3 decimal points. However when it comes to scoring purposes the scores will be compare to as many decimal places as are necessary.

Innings Pitched Maximums

In all Rotisserie fantasy baseball leagues there will be a maximum innings pitched number for your league. This will tell you the number of innings that will count towards scoring for your team. If your team exceeds this number then any Fantasy Points scored after exceeding the maximum inning pitched number will not count towards your total score.

Determining the Winner

The winner is determined on the last day of scoring with will be set by your fantasy baseball commissioner. The number of points is added up and the winner is the fantasy team with the most overall points. It is important to know that someone can win a league with out coming in first in any of the categories.

The Tier Ranking System

2009-02-08T15:41:00.000-05:00

The tier ranking system is one that I have used for the past few years in all of my fantasy baseball leagues. It has helped me along to countless championships, and many playoff finishes.

The basic idea of the tier strategy is to rate players by position, not overall. Instead of creating lists of the top 100 players, you create a list of the top 20 1^st baseman and so on. You can do as many as you want I usually chose to do about 20 players at each position, except for OF and pitching where I usually do about 75 of each.

With all positions in fantasy baseball there are the stars, the above average contributors, the average Joes, and the duds. The idea behind this fantasy baseball strategy is to find where these “invisible” lines between the stars and the average players are. Another important concept behind this is how big of a drop-off there is between tiers.

Lets say you are looking at the shortstops for the fantasy baseball season 2009. We all know who the three super stars are, however after Hanley, Jose, and Jimmy; the drop off is absurd. There is no one even close to the talent that these three put up. It is safe to say that the difference between the first and second tier of short stops is substantial. However when it comes to shortstops this fantasy baseball season the 2^nd tier is full. If you don’t get one of the big three it will be okay, as the 2^nd tier, most of which will be drafted after the 7^th round is all about the same.

This fantasy baseball ranking system is incredibly useful, let me show you how. Lets say that you are in the 4^th round of your 12 man H2H league. Suddenly someone does something out of the ordinary and chose’s Jonathon Papelbon. The next guy then chose’s K-Rod, the following fantasy baseball manager chose’s Joe Nathan. It’s your selection next. It’s getting awfully scary when you look at what is left for closers. There seems to be no one left in your tier one list of closers so you look at tier 2. You quickly realize that tier 2 has almost 15 names in, all of which will most likely put up about the same numbers. So instead of going for a closer you fill in your 3^rd base slot with Kevin Youkilis. This is important because instead of drafting a 2^nd tier closer way to early you filled in a hole on your roster that needed patching. Now you can wait till much later in the draft to begin chasing closers.

Using the Tier system is a great way to make sure you have the best possible roster for your 2009 fantasy baseball team.

Points Scoring System

2009-02-08T10:15:00.000-05:00

Points scoring system is the newest Fantasy baseball scoring system. This system may be the newest however it is the easiest. Real life statistics that players accumulate on a daily basis are given point values. Your teams Points scored are then summed up for the day. The team with the most points at the end of the season wins. This goes for both pitching and hitting stats. The fantasy baseball league commissioner sets the stats that are used at the beginning of the season.

There is not much more to it. A key strategy to this is to make sure you have guys that play every day, if they are playing they will get you points!

Important Fantasy Baseball Acronyms

2009-02-08T08:38:00.000-05:00

You made the excellent decision to become more involved in your boring life and join a fun family base fantasy baseball league. You get an email from the “commissioner” telling you the format and the draft time. You then decide to do a little research. You get to a great ranking site, but you don’t understand what all the numbers or little 3-letter words mean. These acronyms are essential to understanding Fantasy baseball, in and out.

Bellow is a list of general baseball acronyms that are commonly used in fantasy baseball.

RBI: Runs Batted In

AVG: a batters batting average.

HR: Home Runs

SB: Stolen Bases

R: Runs a player scores

W: Wins that a pitcher accumulates throughout the season

K: Strikeouts

ERA: Earned Run Average

WHIP: Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched

S: Saves

This is a short list of common baseball terms that are consistently seen during a fantasy baseball season. Sometimes however you will see a few more with are only associated with Fantasy baseball.

ADP: Average Draft Position

FPA: Fantasy Point Average

These two acronyms are used quite often when talking about a player’s value to fantasy baseball team. They are used more often during than draft than any other time, but the draft is where fantasy baseball leagues are won and lost.

5 Fantasy Baseball Strategies

2009-02-07T11:20:00.000-05:00

Every fantasy manager has his or her own fantasy baseball draft strategy. Which ones work, which ones don’t? The biggest mistake fantasy owners can make is not having a strategy. For every draft that you do as a fantasy baseball manager you need to have a strategy, and stick with it. So with out further ado here are five strategies that I have used to win countless championships.

The balanced team or “average Joes” strategy: This is where you only draft players that contribute in all five categories. You don’t try to outright win any specific category, but at the same time you don’t give up on any either. Through the first 10 rounds you should draft the best stat contributors at each position. You want batter that contributes in all 5 categories, not just home runs and RBI’s. Once you hit the 10^th round you need to look at your current situation and see where you have major holes. Once all holes are filled in you can continue drafting players that will contribute in as many categories possible.

Highest Rated Player Strategy: Lets face it, anyone that plays fantasy baseball knows whom the studs. This strategy means exactly what it sounds like, you always draft the highest rated player, without paying much attention to position or categories, if they are ranked high, you draft them. In order for this draft strategy to work your league needs to be incredibly active, and needs to allow trades because in order for you too fill positions you are weak in you will be trading. Because you always drafted the highest rated player you will have some extra studs at each position, use this to your advantage to get the reaming positions you still need.

Offense sells tickets (defense wins championships): This strategy means you completely forget about pitching till the later rounds, probably wont draft a pitcher until the 10^th round at the earliest. Hitters play everyday and score on a daily basis. The best starter in the league will only contribute every fifth day. You will not be drafting a pitcher until all 9 hitting positions are filled.

Position Scarcity: This strategy entails the most research on your part. You will need to not only look at rankings overall but also for each position as well. In the opening rounds you will be drafting players at positions that have very few superstars. Some examples of such positions are catcher, shortstop, and closer. Once you have a “superstar” at each of the “scarce” positions you will draft players that fill out the rest of your roster.

Punt Strategy: This is a strategy that is often frowned upon by the fantasy baseball experts. However when used correctly it is a force to be reckoned with. A fantasy manager using this strategy will punt or give up on a scoring category to try and dominate in the other categories. For hitter this is usually steals, pitchers usually give up on saves. This is not a great strategy to begin the draft with, but if you are getting towards the 7^th round and you are noticing some categories you are weak in you may want to give up on trying to find some steals and concentrate on more home run hitters and RBI machines.

These are just some of the basic strategies used in fantasy baseball drafts. In the upcoming posts I will be going over ways to use each strategy and how it applies to this years player pool.

Draft Day Tips

2009-02-05T21:35:00.000-05:00

So you have your cheat sheets, your game plan, and your favorite players lined up in the Que., you are all ready to go. However when the draft is over you look over your roster and it is not at all what you expected, you went in with a plan and now you have a team, a team with no direction (kind of like the Yankees.) But how did this happen? How could your fail safe draft day strategy go wrong? Ill tell you how in this simple guide to draft day do's and dont's.

Do: go in to the draft with a strategy. Not only have a strategy, but stick with it from the first pick to the last pick of the draft.

Dont: Lose sight of your goal. If your goal is to draft an even keeled team, then do so, dont change strategies mid way through the draft.

Do: Know all of your leagues rules before beginning the draft. Know which rules you can use to your advantage.

Dont: wait till the last minute to sign in and see if the draft software works on your computer. Arrive at least 30 minutes before and test the draft software. Also take this time to become aquatinted with the draft software being used.

Do: Stay for the whole draft. Not only stay, but in between your picks use the time to figure out your next move, and then your back up plan if someone else makes your pick.

Dont: get caught up in position runs. Just because someone has started to go for all the top tier closers, dont take the next best thing just because you dont want to get caught without a first tier player at the closer position.

Its great to come to draft day with a plan, the hardest part is sticking to your strategy. You came up with that strategy for a reason, stick to it.

Opening Day

2009-02-05T11:45:00.000-05:00

Its getting to that time of year again. My favorite time of year. For the past few years this time period has meant more to me than Christmas or any other commercialized holiday, this is my Christmas. This is the beginning of baseball season. Pitchers and catchers report soon, and then you have spring training games, and then the best part of the year, opening day! Of course I love baseball as a sport itself but my true reason behind loving this time of year is fantasy baseball. Now like most fantasy baseball gurus i have begun my player rankings long ago. I like to usually begin this right after fantasy football season ends. During the fantasy baseball season i like to play in several different highly competitive fantasy leagues. Because of the adversity of these leagues it takes me some time to come up with my draft order as all these leagues have different settings.

Over the next couple of weeks i will be sharing my strategy for winning countless leagues, my draft order this year for H2H leagues, roto leagues, and even will divulge into a few points league draft strategies.

Who will be fantasy baseball 2009's biggest contributors, biggest busts? Stay tuned, i have the answers!