Fanhouse Fantasy Baseball

Fantasy Baseball 2010 Starting Pitcher Rankings: Pre-Camp Version

Matt Snyder — 2010-02-09T13:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Draft Advice, Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit, MLB Position Rankings

Next up on the list of composite positional rankings -- where we have averaged the rankings of our four fantasy baseball staffers -- are the starting pitchers. Unlike every single position we've posted to this date, we didn't have a unanimous No. 1 starting pitcher. Of course, there was still a relative consensus as to the top pitcher.

Three of our four voters pegged two-time reigning NL Cy Young award winner Tim Lincecum as the top pitcher in fantasy baseball. Just in case there was any doubt as to the realism of Lincecum's 2008 campaign, he went out and lowered his ERA, hit rate and walk rate in basically the same amount of work. He led the NL in strikeouts for the second straight season as well. And he's only 25.

So why wasn't he the unanimous No. 1? Because I voted for Roy Halladay. Last season, Halladay went 17-10 with a 2.79 ERA and 1.12 WHIP. He's traded in having to face the Red Sox, Yankees and Rays (who he collectively took on 15 times last season) for the likes of the Mets, Marlins, Nationals and Braves in his move from the AL East to the NL East. The Phillies also play considerably better defense than the Blue Jays. I like Halladay to slightly edge out Lincecum, but, again, that left me in the minority. You can't go wrong with either pitcher, that's for sure.

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FanHouse Mock Draft Extended Analysis, Part II

R.J. White — 2010-02-08T09:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Draft Advice, Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit

I talked at great length (OK, maybe a little too great) in Part I of our FanHouse mock analysis, so much so that we had to split up the article into two posts.

And now, for the stunning conclusion -- OK, that may be a little too over-the-top -- of our extended look at the recent FanHouse and friends mock draft.

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Fantasy Baseball 2010 Outfielder Rankings: Pre-Camp Version

Matt Snyder — 2010-02-08T08:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Draft Advice, Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit, MLB Position Rankings

As we continue with our rolling out of the early positional rankings, today's installment is the outfielders. The group as a whole is deep, but it's not near as top-heavy as it has been in previous years. I'd be perfectly content taking outfielders in rounds three and four after ignoring them in the first two rounds. There is star power in the outfield, it's just that there is more elsewhere.

The one place you can't go wrong? Taking Ryan Braun as the first outfielder. He hasn't even played three seasons in the bigs, but his 162-game average stat line is: .308 batting average, 40 home runs, 122 RBI, 114 runs and 19 stolen bases. Sure, that's a bit skewed due to his insane 113-game rookie year (where he hit 34 home runs in just 451 at-bats), but Braun is a legitimate superstar. And he's only 26. The sky is the limit for the Miami product.

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Don't Jump on Buster Posey Train Yet

Knox Bardeen — 2010-02-07T12:01:00+00:00

Filed under: MLB Kids Are Alright, Draft Advice

If you've been keeping an eye on Buster Posey lately, you'll notice that his average draft position is starting to creep up. Over the the last week he's moved from being selected in the 24th round to the 23rd round, and that movement has likely all been in the last few days after news came out of San Francisco that Posey was going to be looked at for an infield position.

It's easy to see why fantasy GMs are clamoring over Posey. The soon-to-be 23-year-old catcher belted 18 home runs and hit .325 in 422 minor league at-bats in 2009. This tryout on the infield seems to be a way for the Giants to get his promising bat more major league exposure, until he takes over his future role as the team's everyday catcher.

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FanHouse Mock Draft Extended Analysis, Part I

R.J. White — 2010-02-07T09:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Draft Advice, Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit

We filled you in on the results of our recent FanHouse fantasy baseball mock draft in an earlier article, and here we're going to look a little closer at how the mock draft went down. We encourage discussion about the picks and the analysis in the comments section.

Sitting with the ninth pick of 12 competitors, I knew I had to keep an eye on the owners in spots 10, 11 and 12. Tracking their picks and the likeliest scenarios for each of their next selections played a great deal into how I approached my picks in odd-numbered rounds, rounds where those three drafters (Josh Shepardson of the FBC, our own Knox Bardeen, and Paul Bourdette of Base Heads) would get two picks each before my next selection. If you're near the ends of your draft and don't already employ this tactic, or something similar, you're doing yourself a disservice.

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Fantasy Baseball 2010 Third Basemen Rankings: Pre-Camp Version

R.J. White — 2010-02-06T19:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Draft Advice, Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit, MLB Position Rankings

We've been unveiling the first edition of our 2010 fantasy baseball rankings all week, and now we come to those at the hot corner. Alex Rodriguez shrugged off injury concerns and missed time at the beginning of 2009 to put up another A-Rodian fantasy season. The same ol', same ol' from Rodriguez puts him back at the top of the third basemen rankings, where he belongs.

When I talked about Mark Reynolds in his All Eyes On ... segment, I mentioned preferring Ryan Zimmerman to the breakout slugger. I thought this would be contrarian to the popular way of thinking, but by and large Zimmerman has been selected over Reynolds in several early mock drafts I have witnessed. Three of our four writers also favored Zimmerman over Reynolds. Could the 44-HR, 24-SB slugger actually represent value this season?

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Fantasy Baseball 2010 Shortstop Rankings: Pre-Camp Version

Matt Snyder — 2010-02-05T14:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Draft Advice, Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit, MLB Position Rankings

As we roll through the infield of our incredibly early, yet still fun, fantasy baseball positional rankings for 2010, we next stumble to the shortstops. Remember, these are the composite rankings from the four FanHouse fantasy baseball staffers and we have included every player who is eligible in fantasy baseball at this position (regardless of whether or not he'll actually play short this season).

It's no surprise who sits atop the ranks, though he is a different animal from a few years ago. You can see the transition Hanley Ramirez underwent last season from looking at a few stats. His runs decreased from 125 to 101. His RBI increased from 67 to 106. His stolen bases decreased from 35 to 27 as his attempts dropped from 47 to 35. See what's happening? Ramirez is becoming a run producer instead of a table setter. That doesn't make him any less valuable, just valuable in a different way. You aren't getting 50 steals ever again, but you'll get 100 RBI instead of 65-80. If last season's .342 average is any indication, Ramirez is definitely comfortable in the middle. He's also definitely a top-three fantasy baseball performer.

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Fantasy Baseball 2010 Second Basemen Rankings: Pre-Camp Version

Knox Bardeen — 2010-02-05T10:20:00+00:00

Filed under: Draft Advice

The second base position in fantasy baseball is somewhat like my family buffet table during the holidays. If you don't get to the food quickly, you have to scrounge to be satisfied.

Chase Utley and Ian Kinsler are unanimous top-tier picks, but the excitement on draft day begins after they've been selected and fantasy GM's must decide on the next tier of second basemen. Five to six players make up this next tier, and no matter how you rank them -- we didn't agree at all -- you'd better grab one quickly. They should all be gone by the end of the fourth round.

There is talent to be had after the top seven to eight hitters at this position, but there are question marks aplenty. If you choose to wait on a second baseman, be sure to load up on power and stolen bases elsewhere. These are the two statistical categories that take a beating after the big-gunned second basemen are gone.

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FanHouse Mock Draft Results

Knox Bardeen — 2010-02-04T16:07:00+00:00

Filed under: Draft Advice

On Wednesday evening, the fantasy baseball crew at FanHouse was joined by a few select fantasy analysts to participate in a mock draft. The results of the draft can be seen below.

The mock draft consisted of 12 teams, selecting players as if we would compete in a 5X5 rotisserie-style fantasy league. Each team's roster would consist of a single player at catcher, first base, second base, shortstop and third base, three outfielders, a utility hitter, two starting pitchers, two relief pitchers and three pitchers with no restraints on role. We also drafted five bench spots to fill a 21-man roster.

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Fantasy Baseball 2010 First Basemen Rankings: Pre-Camp Version

R.J. White — 2010-02-04T14:10:00+00:00

Filed under: Draft Advice, Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit, MLB Position Rankings

The position of first base has always been big at the top, and it seems it just keeps getting bigger.

Along with obvious No. 1 Albert Pujols, four other first basemen could be drafted in your first round. By the time the third round closes, eight teams in your league could have the position filled. The reason we spend such high picks on such a readily available fantasy position is because the stats these guys put up are so awesome. If you like to wait on a first baseman and fill up the more scarce fantasy positions, by all means go right ahead. There's plenty of talent, even after we get past the top 20 at this position.

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All Eyes On ... Kendry Morales

Knox Bardeen — 2010-02-03T16:39:00+00:00

Filed under: Draft Advice

Between the 2006 and 2008 seasons, Kendry Morales logged 377 at-bats for the Los Angeles Angels -- the most was 197 in 2006, the fewest, 61 in 2008. In those three season of part-time at-bats, Morales hit a total of 12 home runs, five, four and three respectively.

Calling the 2009 season where the Angels first baseman hit 34 home runs a breakout, seems to be an understatement. However, instead of quarreling over whether or not 2009 was a true breakout season, we should be asking how Morales improved so dramatically.

The first thing that Morales did -- and this may be the single biggest reason his fantasy value vaulted -- is trade some plate discipline for power. Morales had a 85-percent contact rate from 2006 to 2008, but in 2009 that rate dropped to a little over 79-percent. The results were 34 home runs, 29 more than he'd ever hit in a single season and 22 more than the previous three seasons combined.

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Fantasy Baseball 2010 Catcher Rankings: Pre-Camp Version

Matt Snyder — 2010-02-03T15:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Draft Advice, Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit, MLB Position Rankings

With Spring Training right around the corner, it's time to churn out the complete 2010 FanHouse fantasy baseball positional rankings. We'll be starting with catcher. These rankings are in the standard 5X5 roto format and were compiled by FanHouse's current fantasy baseball staff of Matt Snyder, R.J. White, Knox Bardeen and Tom Herrera. We all ranked our own players and you'll find the average order of finish (we have also included the average rank, best rank and worst rank between us four staffers).

The top catcher shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. If it is, allow us to welcome you to fantasy baseball (or even being a baseball fan in general). Joe Mauer is fresh off winning the AL MVP and is still only turning 27-years-old in mid-April.

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ADP Trends: Anderson Rising, Rasmus Plummeting

Knox Bardeen — 2010-02-03T08:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Draft Advice

It's time to refocus.

Football season is over, with only Super Bowl XLIV left to settle the National Football League's top prize. February and March are what's known as mock draft season in the fantasy world. A time for astute fantasy baseball owners to spend two months practicing their craft and formulating draft strategies that will assuredly place them in the money when prize pools are dispersed in October.

Until the regular season begins -- once a week -- we'll break down trends discovered by participating in mock drafts. You'll find information like which players are climbing the draft boards and who's plummeting like Superman with a Kryptonite cape. We'll even tell you why players are moving around and whether or not their new Average Draft Position is properly valued.

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FSTA Draft Steals and Reaches, Part II

R.J. White — 2010-01-31T21:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Draft Advice

In Part I, we examined the five biggest steals and reaches in the first four rounds. You can find that analysis here. Earlier in the week, we divulged the results of an expert-league draft conducted at the annual Fantasy Sports Trade Association conference. You can find those results here. Now, we'll take you through the rest of the draft's big reaches and big steals, at least in my own eyes. If you disagree with any of my analysis, please use the comment section below to state your case, especially if you happen to have made the selection in question.

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All Eyes On ... Joe Mauer

Matt Snyder — 2010-01-31T17:50:00+00:00

Filed under: Draft Advice

From ages 21-25, Joe Mauer was a really good hitter. He got on base, hit for a high average, rarely struck out, scored a good amount of runs and displayed good gap power. He was usually among the higher drafted catchers in fantasy baseball, due mostly to positional scarcity -- as it was hard to find a catcher who could lead the league in batting while also providing around 10 home runs a year.

In 2009, however, Mauer became something else: a fantasy monster. He missed the first month of the season with an injury, but came back with something he'd never had before. At age 26, Joe Mauer became a full-fledged power hitter. In just 138 games, Mauer hit 28 home runs and drove home 96 (his previous career highs were 13 and 85). He also scored 94 runs and hit a whopping .365. He even threw on four stolen bases as gravy for his fortunate fantasy baseball owners.

Now entering a season in which Mauer will turn the allegedly magical age of 27, will Mauer's growth as a home run hitter continue, or he will regress back to his earlier status as a great hitter without much home run power?

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FSTA Draft Steals and Reaches, Part I

R.J. White — 2010-01-31T14:50:00+00:00

Filed under: Draft Advice

We recently revealed the results of an expert draft held at the Fantasy Sports Trade Association conference in Las Vegas last week. Today, we'll break the results down, identifying some players that fell too far in the draft and others that caused these knowledgeable fantasy baseball veterans to reach. In this first article, we'll examine the five guys from the first four rounds that were probably the biggest steals and reaches. In the second article, we'll provide analysis for the rest of the draft.

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All Eyes On ... Johan Santana

R.J. White — 2010-01-30T23:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Draft Advice

In his first full season as a starting pitcher, Johan Santana did the remarkable, winning the Cy Young Award in 2004 with 20 wins, 265 Ks, a 2.61 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP in 228 innings. Batters hit just .192 against Santana all season.

We had seen the breakout coming, as Santana was dominant for two years prior with dual roles in the bullpen and the rotation. But do me a favor and check out Santana's year-to-year marks in WHIP and batting average against, starting with that 2004 season:

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All Eyes On ... Matt Wieters

R.J. White — 2010-01-30T20:45:00+00:00

Filed under: Draft Advice

We were witness to an interesting phenomenon in last year's fantasy drafts. Early in the drafting season, smart owners were spending late-round picks on Matt Wieters, a very interesting fantasy prospect with the Baltimore Orioles. Blue-chippers such as Wieters make for good investments in leagues that feature a large bench, as they are usually called up in June or July (if at all), giving owners the opportunity to benefit from a future stud's first half season in the big leagues.

What made the Wieters pick interesting is that the price started to rise on the young catcher, and it never stopped. By the time the last preseason drafts were over, Wieters was coming off the board as a top-10 catcher, despite the near certainty he wouldn't be accruing stats for half a season. It seemed fantasy owners were so sure Wieters would dominate that they were willing to use a valuable mid-round pick on a bench player before filling out the rest of their starting rosters.

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All Eyes On ... Clay Buchholz

R.J. White — 2010-01-29T22:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Draft Advice

I recently talked about Jon Lester's fantasy prospects for 2010, identifying him as a serious buy in your draft. One of the things I love about him going into this season is the upgrade the Red Sox made to their defense. While it should help the entire Boston staff in theory, it's going to do wonders for one starting pitcher, provided he cracks the rotation.

Clay Buchholz was once a much heralded prospect, one that people couldn't wait to see in the majors. After tearing up the minors in 2005-2007, Buchholz made his pro debut as a 22-year-old in that 2007 season. He did a great job in a small sample size, leading us to believe he was well on his way to being a successful starter.

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All Eyes On ... Ryan Franklin

Matt Snyder — 2010-01-29T16:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Draft Advice

Ryan Franklin entered last season not even being named the Cardinals closer. It appeared they were going to use the youngster Jason Motte in the ninth and have Franklin be part of the bridge to get to the young flamethrower. It only took a disastrous blown save on Opening Day (Motte allowed four earned runs to the Pirates and took the loss) before Franklin got himself in the mix.

By the end of August, you could make an argument that Franklin was the best closer in baseball. He had successfully saved 35 games in 37 chances and sported a 1.05 ERA.

The rest of the way would be a different story. Franklin saved just three of his six chances in September -- racking up a brutal 6.75 ERA and 2.68 WHIP in his 10 September appearances. Things weren't any better in the playoffs, as Franklin blew the save in Game 2. Sure, a Matt Holliday error opened the door, but Franklin allowed two hits and two walks in that inning and the ball hit to Holliday was a rocket.

So, did the 36-year-old Franklin tire toward the end of the season, or is the magic completely gone? After all, his career ERA was 4.19 heading into the season and he made his first All-Star appearance in 2009. Again, as a 36-year-old.

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