2012 Fantasy Football Rankings

My drafts are done so I can share my rankings before yours. No fluff just rankings down and dirty. If you know how to use Vlookup, you can insert them into onto the excel I provided in my last post. Please feel free to comment or ask questions and good luck.

1. Arian Foster
2. LeSean McCoy
3. Ray Rice
4. Aaron Rodgers
5. Calvin Johnson
6. Drew Brees
7. Chris Johnson
8. Darren McFadden
9. Tom Brady
10. Cam Newton
11. Larry Fitzgerald
12. Matt Forte
13. Adrian Peterson
14. Matthew Stafford
15. Maurice Jones-Drew
16. Rob Gronkowski
17. Jimmy Graham
18. Marshawn Lynch
19. Ryan Mathews
20. DeMarco Murray
21. Andre Johnson
22. Brandon Marshall
23. A.J. Green
24. Greg Jennings
25. Victor Cruz
26. Steven Jackson
27. Jamaal Charles
28. Fred Jackson
29. Julio Jones
30. Roddy White
31. Wes Welker
32. Steve Smith
33. Hakeem Nicks
34. Darren Sproles
35. Trent Richardson
36. Jordy Nelson
37. Ahmad Bradshaw
38. Michael Turner
39. Antonio Gates
40. Marques Colston
41. Michael Vick
42. Demaryius Thomas
43. Jeremy Maclin
44. Mike Wallace
45. Dez Bryant
46. Miles Austin
47. Percy Harvin
48. Brandon Lloyd
49. Doug Martin
50. Philip Rivers
51. Tony Romo
52. Frank Gore
53. Vincent Jackson
54. Vernon Davis
55. Jermichael Finley
56. Eli Manning
57. Aaron Hernandez
58. Peyton Manning
59. Willis McGahee
60. Antonio Brown
61. Stevie Johnson
62. Eric Decker
63. Dwayne Bowe
64. Reggie Bush
65. Shonn Greene
66. BenJarvus Green-Ellis
67. Ben Roethlisberger
68. Robert Griffin III
69. Kenny Britt
70. Torrey Smith
71. Pierre Garcon
72. Robert Meachem
73. Fred Davis
74. Kevin Smith
75. Donald Brown
76. Stevan Ridley
77. Cedric Benson
78. Jonathan Stewart
79. Beanie Wells
80. DeSean Jackson
81. Matt Ryan
82. Jay Cutler
83. Michael Bush
84. C.J. Spiller
85. Peyton Hillis
86. Isaac Redman
87. DeAngelo Williams
88. Evan Royster
89. Ben Tate
90. San Francisco
91. Reggie Wayne
92. Santonio Holmes
93. Denarius Moore
94. Anquan Boldin
95. Malcom Floyd
96. David Wilson
97. Sidney Rice
98. Darrius Heyward-Bey
99. Justin Blackmon
100. Greg Little
101. Tony Gonzalez
102. Jermaine Gresham
103. Brent Celek
104. Jacob Tamme
105. Coby Fleener
106. Brandon Pettigrew
107. Jared Cook
108. Davone Bess
109. Titus Young
110. Lance Moore
111. Laurent Robinson
112. Jason Witten
113. Rashad Jennings
114. Montario Hardesty
115. LeGarrette Blount
116. Toby Gerhart
117. Jacquizz Rodgers
118. Mark Ingram
119. Pierre Thomas
120. Rashard Mendenhall
121. Shane Vereen
122. Roy Helu
123. Michael Crabtree
124. Mike Williams
125. Matt Schaub
126. Andy Dalton
127. Andrew Luck
128. Pittsburgh
129. Baltimore
130. Chicago
131. Detroit
132. Green Bay
133. Isaiah Pead
134. James Starks
135. Brian Quick
136. Santana Moss
137. Philadelphia
138. Seattle
139. Houston
140. Tim Tebow
141. Ryan Williams
142. Vincent Brown
143. Jahvid Best
144. Tim Hightower
145. Ronnie Brown
146. Dallas Clark
147. Mikel LeShoure
148. Carson Palmer
149. Josh Freeman
150. Owen Daniels

Roto Hero's 2012 Fantasy Football Excel Prep

Click For Roto Hero's 2012 Fantasy Football Excel Prep in Google Docs, free of course.

I’ll start off this fantasy football season with “You’re Welcome.”

For the first time ever I am allowing you all the chance to prep like I do, and of course it is free of charge. This is the excel spreadsheet that I make every year before fantasy football, baseball, and basketball drafts. It allows you the opportunity to see the value of experts from all the big leagues, Yahoo!, ESPN, CBS, NFL.com, FOX, etc. in one convenient location. Having other rankings can help identify Heroes and Villains on the draft board.

The sheet default is from the perspective of Yahoo, since that’s what I play, but if you download it you will be able to filter by your own league settings. The sheet is fairly straight forward, but there are a few thing to mention. Columns A-F are the rankings of other fantasy experts. G is the project Y! rankings. H is average of all the player rankings. I is the Y! Rank - Average, which is intended to identify consensus value picks (Positive are valuable, at least on paper). Next is the Player info and then the 2012 Projected Stats.

The second page is used for your teams projected value when doing a mock. Simply put in the players names you draft and the projected values will link in. See how you can improve your team’s total. Take with a grain of salt that it is only Y! projected points. Add and remove positions as needed.

If anything is unclear feel free to send me message or comment. Trust this will help you all incredibly with perspective on players.

Go After the Young Guns

Speed is of the essence.

I’m sure you are already familiar with the names I’m going to tell you to leave this article to pick up now, but they are all newer on the scene. Some are probably gone, but I bet at least one is there.

Middlebrooks - Best chance he is already owned but with the Youk trade yesterday he has a clear path and has been smashing like the Hulk.

Rizzo - He has now officially been called up and is raking AAA. OBP over .400, 23 dongs, and 62 RBIs in only 69 games. More than worth the gamble.

Bauer - Pitcher for ARI, who has the feeling of Lincecum before he was called up. Started the year in AA and jumped to AAA now will make his first start on Thursday. If you have anyone to drop do it.

Who's Coming Back?

It feels as if there have been too many injuries this season, but some will be coming back within the next month or so. Many injury plagued owners (like I am in one league) have had to cut bait on a star waiting in the DL wings. If you are lucky have an open DL spot, here’s who I think you should pick up (note some on the short term DL, like Kemp, I don’t think would be available so I won’t list him):

1. Carl Crawford: Need for Speed? He can potentially be the only one. Although Ellsbury is on the DL chances are no one dropped him. I was hoping that he would be back already, but you all know his setbacks. I would stash him, hope for All-Star break, and also 30 SBs. He can make up a huge gap in tight category.

2. Ryan Howard: In one of my leagues I just swooped him up 2 days ago. He is at extended spring and already mashing homers. Check to see if the 1st rounder is still available, I’m hoping he is also up at the All-Star.

3. Brett Gardner: He should not be available, but if he is he’s number 1. He should be back in a week or so, and has Crawford’s SBs. Just in case I want to add him.

4. Roy Halladay: Also in the category of should not be available, but some people were scared away by the slower start. Even in an off year he should be producing at a 3rd SP level.

5. Chase Utley: I think he’ll come back after Howard, in the range of Late July, although he is also in extended spring training. The feeling we have been here before pushes him back.

6. Emilio Bonifacio: His position eligibility and speed make him worth the wait.

In case you haven't heard, we're running out of closers...

In case you haven’t heard, the end of the old school closer might me over. Mariano Rivera tore his ACL and done for the year maybe his career. It’s your chance to vulture the ashes.

Yanks Closer - Nothing announced yet but it should be Robertson, the guy is pranking and might be already owned. If he is, gamble on Soriano.

Cubbies Closer - Marmol is also out as closer, but because he’s been a joke. It’s between Dolis and Russell, “based on matchup.” If I could only have one I would take Dolis, but who knows here.

Happy trails to the elite.

Believe It Or Not

Welcome to post draft fantasy baseball.  Above is the first thing that comes to mind when I thought of believe it or not.  In this article I wanted to take a look at if the surprise hot starts are legit, and the opening failures will last.  Remember if you will that Roto Hero is all about OBP instead of AVG.   

Surprise Fast Starts (Believe they are Superheroes?):

Josh Willingham: BELIEVE.  Willingham has been smashing like the Hulk so far.  5 HRs in 50 ABs, it’s not too surprising so I think he will keep it up.  The AVG and OBP are surely to drop, but he’s for real and a was a target of mine in every draft.   He’ll move down from his top 15 value, but should stay a top power choice.

Carlos Beltran: BELIEVE.  Believe it or not, Beltran is number four right now in OBP leagues.  Like Willingham AVG/OBP is high, but as long as he is healthy he’s a great option.

Kyle Lohse: NOT. Lohse currently ranks just behind Halladay for top SP.  While he will be a serviceable option, I think the he will return to Bruce Banner status sooner than later.

Jason Heyward:  BELIEVE.  Although I do not believe he will maintain his current pace, I was predicting a return to form for him.  He recently was moved up in the lineup, and with his talent he should last.

Yoenis Cespedes:  NOT.  I was actually hyping him before the season and the power is legitimate.  My fear is that soon teams are going to learn how to pitch to him and the power he relies on for value will slow down.  I would try and sell high.

Surprise Slow Starts (Are these bad starts Flukes or are they Fails): 

Adam Wainwright:  FLUKE.  I’ll admit it doesn’t look good right now.  He’s coming off Tommy John and is 0-3, but he swears he is fine health wise.  I think he is a good buy low candidate.

Kevin Youkilis:  FLUKE.  Bobby V thinks it’s motivation, well Bobby V is a joke.  The biggest mystery to me is the lack of walks.  They will return and so will his value.

Adam Dunn: FAIL.  Knowing his OBP past, I wanted him.  Didn’t get him everywhere, but I wanted him.  Him going yard early is a good sign, but I’m about ready to give up on him.

Ichiro Suzuki: FAIL.  He will obviously be better than he is now so wait to ship, but SEA lineup is bad no matter how much they tried to pretend.  His role as the lone bright star is dimishing.

Troy Tulowitzki:  FLUKE.  I didn’t believe he was a first rounder, but he’ll be back to a top SS option soon enough.

Jose Valverde:  FLUKE.  So it won’t be another perfect season for saves.  He’s still a top option for a team that is going to win lots of games.

Eric Hosmer:  FAIL.  I told you so sounds so childish, but I have been saying he was overhyped on draft boards all year.  In the future he is going to be a stud, I just don’t think it will happen for 2012 season.  Don’t drop, especially not in keeper, but don’t hold your breath for dominance.

Opening Day

Every baseball season I watch Major League and this.  Who are the pitchers today?

The Draft: V The Final Frontier

End of the line for the draft. Thanks for looking if you have any questions feel free to ask. Or on Twitter @RotoHero. Part I. Part II. Part III. Part IV.

This year we played with 8, with even further expanded rosters. I was 3rd pick for 29 rounds of bliss. Our league is 5x5 Roto, but instead of the conventional AVG, we play OBP (I suggest you all do the same), and an innings cap of 1650. (1650 works out to about 6 SPs and 5 RPs for the season).

Out positions: C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, CI, MI, LF, CF, RF, OF, OF, Util, Util, SP, SP, SP, SP, RP, RP, P, P, P, P, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, DL.

Round 22

1. Matt Thornton (CWS - RP) Uggies vs Yu…

2. Jesus Montero (Sea - Util) Girls Don’t …

3. Ubaldo Jimenez (Cle - SP) Baghwan’s Ba…

4. Jonathan Broxton (KC - RP) Game Recogni…

5. Gaby Sanchez (Mia - 1B) DrunkDrafter

6. Jim Johnson (Bal - RP) Shooting Blanks

7. Jason Kipnis (Cle - 2B) Clip Show

8. Jeff Francoeur (KC - RF) Storm VIII/S…

Round 23

1. Hiroki Kuroda (NYY - SP) Storm VIII/S…

2. Jose Altuve (Hou - 2B) Clip Show

3. Jhonny Peralta (Det - SS) Shooting Blanks

4. Neil Walker (Pit - 2B) DrunkDrafter

5. Tyler Clippard (Was - RP) Game Recogni…

6. Francisco Cordero (Tor - RP) Baghwan’s Ba…

7. Doug Fister (Det - SP) Girls Don’t …

8. Matt Wieters (Bal - C) Uggies vs Yu…

My Picks: Johnson. Peralta. Both should be good. Johnosn was the last closer whose job wasn’t speculative. Happy to have 5 to start in a league that is very active. Peralta will be there if my worst INF Hardy fails.

Hero Pick: Wieters. I like both the Francoeur and Fister picks, but Wieters will actually play his value here. I probably should have taken him, but am still happy with my fills.

Villain Pick: Cordero. For some reason on our draft day Cordero was launched to 105ish in rankings, even though he isn’t closing. We had the discipline not to take him early, but considering this could have been a better setup RP or potential closer, bad pick.

Round 24

1. Melky Cabrera (SF - LF,CF) Uggies vs Yu…

2. Mike Adams (Tex - RP) Girls Don’t …

3. Dexter Fowler (Col - CF) Baghwan’s Ba…

4. Brad Lidge (Was - RP) Game Recogni…

5. Jordan Schafer (Hou - CF) DrunkDrafter

6. Brandon McCarthy (Oak - SP) Shooting Blanks

7. Jair Jurrjens (Atl - SP) Clip Show

8. Greg Holland (KC - RP) Storm VIII/S…

Round 25

1. Nick Markakis (Bal - RF) Storm VIII/S…

2. Mat Gamel (Mil - CI) Clip Show

3. Torii Hunter (LAA - RF) Shooting Blanks

4. Jeremy Hellickson (TB - SP) DrunkDrafter

5. Jose Tabata (Pit - LF,RF) Game Recogni…

6. Chase Utley (Phi - 2B) Baghwan’s Ba…

7. Todd Helton (Col - 1B) Girls Don’t …

8. Shaun Marcum (Mil - SP) Uggies vs Yu…

My Picks: McCarthy. Hunter. McCarthy is why I waited for some of my SPs. Other than wins he’ll be awesome. Hunter is mostly influenced by the fact I can see LAA games, but if he does close to what he did last year, this is still a deal. Another OF you can hold out for.

Hero Pick: McCarthy. Best player on the board and he will outproduce many SPs taken before him.

Villain Pick: Utley. He will have some value, the question is when. Unless you have room on your DL, make him go undrafted, he will be more harm than good till we have an idea of when he is back.

Round 26

1. Colby Rasmus (Tor - CF) Uggies vs Yu…

2. Carlos Lee (Hou - 1B,LF) Girls Don’t …

3. Brandon Belt (SF - 1B,LF) Baghwan’s Ba…

4. Chone Figgins (Sea - 3B) Game Recogni…

5. Chris Davis (Bal - 1B,3B) DrunkDrafter

6. David Freese (StL - 3B) Shooting Blanks

7. Vance Worley (Phi - SP) Clip Show

8. Kelly Johnson (Tor - 2B) Storm VIII/S…

Round 27

1. Martin Prado (Atl - 3B,LF) Storm VIII/S…

2. Johan Santana (NYM - SP) Clip Show

3. Dustin Ackley (Sea - 2B) Shooting Blanks

4. Addison Reed (CWS - RP) DrunkDrafter

5. Rajai Davis (Tor - CF,RF) Game Recogni…

6. Austin Jackson (Det - CF) Baghwan’s Ba…

7. Nyjer Morgan (Mil - LF,CF,RF) Girls Don’t …

8. Matt Joyce (TB - LF,RF) Uggies vs Yu…

My Picks: Freese. Ackley. Once again I pranked it. Freese was a hero in the WS and just of who is around will outproduce Figgins and Davis. Ackley, was not needed by me but already went yard and shouldn’t have still been there for me.

Hero Pick: Worley. If I knew he would have been taken, I would have taken him even in the rounds before. I love my picks, but I think Worley is going to be a hero.

Villain Pick: Figgins. Taken in front of Freese, I can’t believe it. I understand the gamble and it’s hard to get SBs at a corner infielder, but if you want to gamble you could do it in a round or too.

Round 28

1. Jonny Venters (Atl - RP) Uggies vs Yu…

2. David Robertson (NYY - RP) Girls Don’t …

3. Mike Aviles (Bos - 2B,3B,SS) Baghwan’s Ba…

4. Brandon Morrow (Tor - SP) Game Recogni…

5. Chris Carpenter (StL - SP) DrunkDrafter

6. Russell Martin (NYY - C) Shooting Blanks

7. Logan Morrison (Mia - LF) Clip Show

8. Justin Morneau (Min - 1B) Storm VIII/S…

Round 29

1. Jason Bourgeois (KC - LF,CF,RF) Storm VIII/S…

2. Ryan Madson (Cin - RP) Clip Show

3. Mike Minor (Atl - SP) Shooting Blanks

4. Max Scherzer (Det - SP) DrunkDrafter

5. Fernando Salas (StL - RP) Game Recogni…

6. Brent Lillibridge (CWS - 1B,LF,CF,RF) Baghwan’s Ba…

7. Ian Desmond (Was - SS) Girls Don’t …

8. Aroldis Chapman (Cin - RP) Uggies vs Yu…

My Picks: Martin. Minor. Martin is exactly why I wait on a catcher. I got a Yankee and if he fades or someone is hot, it costs me nothing to drop. Minor is going is a great choice, I have since dropped him to get into the BOS closer sweepstakes and he was grabbed immediately.

Hero Pick: Morneau or Carpenter. I liked my picks, but both these are great low risk/high reward.

Villain Pick: Madson. It’s unfortunately easy to pick since he is out for the year.

The Draft: Part IV A New Hope

In an effort to get this out before the season is over the next rounds I am doing analysis for 2 at a time. Part I. Part II. Part III.

This year we played with 8, with even further expanded rosters. I was 3rd pick for 29 rounds of bliss. Our league is 5x5 Roto, but instead of the conventional AVG, we play OBP (I suggest you all do the same), and an innings cap of 1650. (1650 works out to about 6 SPs and 5 RPs for the season).

Out positions: C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, CI, MI, LF, CF, RF, OF, OF, Util, Util, SP, SP, SP, SP, RP, RP, P, P, P, P, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, DL.

Round 16

1. Jason Motte (StL - RP) Uggies vs Yu…

2. Brandon League (Sea - RP) Girls Don’t …

3. Erick Aybar (LAA - SS) Baghwan’s Ba…

4. Alex Avila (Det - C) Game Recogni…

5. Josh Beckett (Bos - SP) DrunkDrafter

6. Carl Crawford (Bos - LF) Shooting Blanks

7. Michael Pineda (NYY - SP) Clip Show

8. Mark Reynolds (Bal - 1B,3B)Storm VIII/S…

Round 17

1. Miguel Montero (Ari - C) Storm VIII/S…

2. Huston Street (SD - RP) Clip Show

3. Tommy Hanson (Atl - SP) Shooting Blanks

4. Ike Davis (NYM - 1B) DrunkDrafter

5. Rafael Betancourt (Col - RP) Game Recogni…

6. Yoenis Cespedes (Oak - CF) Baghwan’s Ba…

7. Joe Mauer (Min - C,1B) Girls Don’t …

8. Matt Garza (ChC - SP) Uggies vs Yu…

My Picks: Crawford, Hanson. I wanted Aybar and after he was taken I had to gamble on Crawford. He might miss a week or two to start, but he is worth the gamble there. I got my top SPs early (a lot went fast), but needed more and he had been just waiting for me.

Hero Pick: Crawford. He could be a bust, but I’m a believer. Even with the missed time, I think he is a close to a top 100 player.

Villain Pick: Avila/Montero. It’s the same pick. A catcher that won’t play their value. Mauer will beat them and was taken later.

Round 18

1. Ricky Romero (Tor - SP) Uggies vs Yu…

2. Rickie Weeks (Mil - 2B) Girls Don’t …

3. Kenley Jansen (LAD - RP) Baghwan’s Ba…

4. Carlos Pena (TB - 1B) Game Recogni…

5. Kyle Farnsworth (TB - RP) DrunkDrafter

6. J.J. Hardy (Bal - SS) Shooting Blanks

7. Chris Perez (Cle - RP) Clip Show

8. Jayson Werth (Was - CF,RF) Storm VIII/S…

Round 19

1. Brandon Beachy (Atl - SP) Storm VIII/S…

2. Cory Luebke (SD - SP,RP) Clip Show

3. Josh Willingham (Min - LF) Shooting Blanks

4. Corey Hart (Mil - RF) DrunkDrafter

5. Anibal Sanchez (Mia - SP) Game Recogni…

6. Mark Trumbo (LAA - 1B,RF) Baghwan’s Ba…

7. Ervin Santana (LAA - SP) Girls Don’t …

8. Javy Guerra (LAD - RP) Uggies vs Yu…

My Picks: Hardy. Willingham. Happy with both. Just potentially added 60 HRs to my team this late, excited. Willingham is also an OBP stud.

Hero Pick: Weeks. I love both my picks, but Weeks went way too late. I thought about him the previous round but already had my 2B and MI filled. He will be a value if he misses ¼ of the year.

Villain Pick: Jansen. The guy thought he was the closer, and might be eventually. He not a complete waste, but not as strong as the others.

Round 20

1. Chris Young (Ari - CF) Uggies vs Yu…

2. Cameron Maybin (SD - CF) Girls Don’t …

3. Brennan Boesch (Det - LF,RF) Baghwan’s Ba…

4. Grant Balfour (Oak - RP) Game Recogni…

5. Carlos Marmol (ChC - RP) DrunkDrafter

6. Matt Capps (Min - RP) Shooting Blanks

7. Jaime Garcia (StL - SP) Clip Show

8. Ryan Roberts (Ari - 2B,3B) Storm VIII/S…

Round 21

1. Neftali Feliz (Tex - RP) Storm VIII/S…

2. Lucas Duda (NYM - 1B,RF) Clip Show

3. Jason Heyward (Atl - RF) Shooting Blanks

4. Jordan Zimmermann (Was - SP) DrunkDrafter

5. Sean Marshall (Cin - RP) Game Recogni…

6. Alejandro De Aza (CWS - CF,RF) Baghwan’s Ba…

7. Frank Francisco (NYM - RP) Girls Don’t …

8. Brett Myers (Hou - SP) Uggies vs Yu…

My Picks: Capps. Heyward. Got a closer with the job outright. Great. Yes, it’s that Heyward. How the might have fallen. People become scared to take him, so I finally had to do it. Had to. Could end up being the pick of the draft, but honestly I’m still concerned.

Hero Pick: Maybin. Good for 40 bags and won’t hurt you too bad else where. It should be my Heyward pick though.

Villain Pick: De Aza. I’m not completely against him, but there are OFs that will be taken in later rounds I like more.

The Draft: Part III

Moving right along. Here you can view: Part I, Part II.

This year we played with 8, with even further expanded rosters. I was 3rd pick for 29 rounds of bliss. Our league is 5x5 Roto, but instead of the conventional AVG, we play OBP (I suggest you all do the same), and an innings cap of 1650. (1650 works out to about 6 SPs and 5 RPs for the season).

Out positions: C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, CI, MI, LF, CF, RF, OF, OF, Util, Util, SP, SP, SP, SP, RP, RP, P, P, P, P, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, DL.

Round 11

1. Adam Wainwright (StL - SP) Storm VIII/S…

2. Adam Jones (Bal - CF) Clip Show

3. Michael Cuddyer (Col - 1B,2B,RF) Shooting Blanks

4. Drew Storen (Was - RP) DrunkDrafter

5. Dee Gordon (LAD - SS) Game Recogni…

6. Buster Posey (SF - C) Baghwan’s Ba…

7. Aramis Ramirez (Mil - 3B) Girls Don’t …

8. Shin-Soo Choo (Cle - RF) Uggies vs Yu…

My Pick: Cuddyer. Every year I make a pick in my real draft that I never made in any mock draft, Cuddyer was it this year. Moving to COL will do wonders for his value and I have my MI spot done. I had to do it.

Hero (Best) Pick: Wainwright. That’s who I was hoping for and almost took him with my previous pick. I think he returns to Ace level. Gordon would have probably been it if this was AVG. It looks like he’s going to lead the league in SBs.

Villain (Worst) Pick: Adam Jones. I am not a believer and especially not in OBP. Choo should have been taken.

Round 12

1. Matt Moore (TB - RP) Uggies vs Yu…

2. Derek Jeter (NYY - SS) Girls Don’t …

3. Heath Bell (Mia - RP) Baghwan’s Ba…

4. Brett Gardner (NYY - LF,CF) Game Recogni…

5. Mat Latos (Cin - SP) DrunkDrafter

6. Yu Darvish (Tex - SP) Shooting Blanks

7. Freddie Freeman (Atl - 1B) Clip Show

8. Ichiro Suzuki (Sea - RF) Storm VIII/S…

My Pick: Yu Darvish. I debated taking him last round when Wainwright was gone. It was a no brainer for me.

Hero Pick: Yu Darvish. I would have liked Gardner for myself, but I think Darvish is going to be an Ace. Getting him after his draft ranking should be a steal.

Villain Pick: Jeter. I think he will be serviceable, but at this spot he will have to be better than last year. I would have rather waited a few rounds for others.

Round 13

1. Jose Valverde (Det - RP) Storm VIII/S…

2. Josh Johnson (Mia - SP) Clip Show

3. J.J. Putz (Ari - RP) Shooting Blanks

4. Alexei Ramirez (CWS - SS) DrunkDrafter

5. Kendrys Morales (LAA - 1B,RF) Game Recogni…

6. Ryan Howard (Phi - 1B) Baghwan’s Ba…

7. Carlos Beltran (StL - RF) Girls Don’t …

8. Drew Stubbs (Cin - CF) Uggies vs Yu…

My Pick: JJ Putz. Wanted another elite closer with more uncertainties than usual this year, took the best available.

Hero Pick: Putz/Valverde. Closers (even first tier) have a hard time producing their draft value. Either of these guys should and are pretty safe in the year of Closer Chaos. Beltran is nice too, I was hoping for him at 14.

Villain Pick: Alexi Ramirez. I don’t think he deserved a similar draft pick last year, and not enough to keep it. Would have much rather had Aybar or even Bonafacio later.

Round 14

1. Shane Victorino (Phi - CF) Uggies vs Yu…

2. Joel Hanrahan (Pit - RP) Girls Don’t …

3. Joe Nathan (Tex - RP) Baghwan’s Ba…

4. Andre Ethier (LAD - RF) Game Recogni…

5. Brian Wilson (SF - RP) DrunkDrafter

6. Jordan Walden (LAA - RP) Shooting Blanks

7. Jemile Weeks (Oak - 2B) Clip Show

8. Billy Butler (KC - 1B) Storm VIII/S…

My Pick: Walden. Angels should win some games this year and I’m at the forefront. I remember reading somewhere that he should be this year’s JJ Putz, I’ll agree with that.

Hero Pick: Victorino. I would like to say Walden/Wilson similar to last round, but Victorino should have gone earlier. The Flyin Hawaiian is safe for under 10th round value even without Howard/Utley.

Villain Pick: Jemeile Weeks. I like him okay, but Richie Weeks was still on the board (and will be). Even if you are worried about injury prone Weeks, you would be better off with half the season Richie and a scrub.

Round 15

1. Andrew Bailey (Bos - RP) Storm VIII/S…

2. Sergio Santos (Tor - RP) Clip Show

3. Nick Swisher (NYY - 1B,RF) Shooting Blanks

4. Emilio Bonifacio (Mia - 3B,SS,LF,CF,RF) DrunkDrafter

5. Adam Dunn (CWS - 1B) Game Recogni…

6. Paul Goldschmidt (Ari - 1B) Baghwan’s Ba…

7. Coco Crisp (Oak - CF) Girls Don’t …

8. Daniel Hudson (Ari - SP) Uggies vs Yu…

My Pick: Nick Swisher. This is probably my pick of the draft for OBP. He is the OBP gem. You can bank on the 61 he turned in for value last year at least.

Hero Pick: Swisher. OBP stud, read above. Dunn should also be good there. Until this year he was a 3rd round draft pick, but you all know what happened. I was planning on reaching for Dunn in the next few rounds, but got beat to the punch.

Villain Pick: Crisp, I guess. Solid round throughout. Maybe Santos. Could end up being Dunn.

The Draft: Part II

Last week was the draft for my main fantasy baseball league. Composed of my brothers and friends, I’ve been playing for (wow) six years now, although some of them have been playing fantasy since before it was online. I can’t believe people would do that either.

This year we played with 8, with even further expanded rosters. I was 3rd pick for 29 rounds of bliss. Our league is 5x5 Roto, but instead of the conventional AVG, we play OBP (I suggest you all do the same), and an innings cap of 1650. (1650 works out to about 6 SPs and 5 RPs for the season).

Out positions: C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, CI, MI, LF, CF, RF, OF, OF, Util, Util, SP, SP, SP, SP, RP, RP, P, P, P, P, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, DL.

Below are the results for the next five picks of the draft along with my analysis. You can view Part I. Just like any other draft it was unpredictable for the most part regardless of how many mock drafts you have done. Here we go:

Round 5

1. Paul Konerko (CWS - 1B) Storm VIII/S…

2. Carlos Santana (Cle - C,1B) Clip Show

3. Matt Holliday (StL - LF) Shooting Blanks

4. Josh Hamilton (Tex - LF,CF) DrunkDrafter

5. Hunter Pence (Phi - RF) Toyko Rose o…

6. Pablo Sandoval (SF - 1B,3B) Baghwan’s Ba…

7. Cole Hamels (Phi - SP) Girls Don’t …

8. Ryan Zimmerman (Was - 3B) Uggies vs Yu…

My Pick: Holliday. If you play OBP Holliday is a name that you know. I didn’t really want to have another OF already (even though we play 5), but I feel very good about him playing value. Even with El Hombre gone, I am a lot happier taking him in front of Hamilton and Pence.

Hero Pick: Cole Hamels. Again I like my pick, but Hamels has the potential to beat the Felix, pick I made a full round earlier. Hamels is also the default winner. The OF picks are okay. Paul, Carlos, and Sandy were early. Zimm I like this late, but he has had his injury problems.

Villain Pick: Sandoval. I don’t like Konk or Santana either, but I am not a Sandoval fan. Sandy is injury risk, has terrible OBP, and might not hit in the heart of a weaker lineup. Sandy has to be passed on, especially with Zimm still there.

Round 6

1. Dan Uggla (Atl - 2B) Uggies vs Yu…

2. Alex Rodriguez (NYY - 3B) Girls Don’t …

3. Dan Haren (LAA - SP) Baghwan’s Ba…

4. Brett Lawrie (Tor - 3B) Toyko Rose o…

5. Zack Greinke (Mil - SP) DrunkDrafter

6. David Price (TB - SP) Shooting Blanks

7. Elvis Andrus (Tex - SS) Clip Show

8. Ben Zobrist (TB - 2B,RF) Storm VIII/S…

My Pick: David Price. I think he has a chance at the AL Cy Young and I got him late. Would have preferred Haren, but am happy. I also think that Price is the end of 2nd tier of SPs, so was happy I have two at this time.

Hero Pick: Zobrist. There are a couple picks I like this round, but Zobrist is my favorite. I thought about taking Zo even though I already had a 2B since his OBP is awesome and he is good bet for 90-20-90-20.

Villain Pick: Uggla. I don’t hate a 2B with Thor like power, but he is a slow starter which is hard to take as a fantasy owner and likely not the pick Zobrist will be.

Round 7

1. Michael Bourn (Atl - CF) Storm VIII/S…

2. Stephen Strasburg (Was - SP) Clip Show

3. Kevin Youkilis (Bos - 1B,3B) Shooting Blanks

4. Eric Hosmer (KC - 1B) DrunkDrafter

5. Jay Bruce (Cin - RF) Toyko Rose o…

6. Michael Young (Tex - 1B,2B,3B) Baghwan’s Ba…

7. Craig Kimbrel (Atl - RP) Girls Don’t …

8. Starlin Castro (ChC - SS) Uggies vs Yu…

My Pick: Youk. My favorite nickname I’ve heard is from ESPN, The Greek God of Walks. In previous years Youkilis went as high as the 2nd round. He has been hurt in last few years, but I’ll take the risk at 7. The 3B is great too until Miggy has it. Even in an off year last year, his OBP was 0.116 better than his average (tied for 4th best).

Hero Pick: Youk. Although the injury risk is there, I took the only player that can finish in the 2nd round. I would like Stras if he didn’t have the innings cap.

Villain Pick: Castro. I am not a Hosmer fan (at least not for 2012), especially with some good 1Bs still to come, but Castro was taken too early (even though he wasn’t reached for). Castro like many of my least favorites does not put up a good OBP compared to his AVG. He finished 98 last year for OBP, and I don’t know how much he is going to improve in a weak lineup.

Round 8

1. David Wright (NYM - 3B) Uggies vs Yu…

2. Brandon Phillips (Cin - 2B) Girls Don’t …

3. Howie Kendrick (LAA - 1B,2B,LF) Baghwan’s Ba…

4. Yovani Gallardo (Mil - SP) Toyko Rose o…

5. Nelson Cruz (Tex - LF,RF) DrunkDrafter

6. B.J. Upton (TB - CF) Shooting Blanks

7. Matt Cain (SF - SP) Clip Show

8. Jon Lester (Bos - SP) Storm VIII/S…

My Pick: BJ Upton. I do my homework to find the OBP steals like Upton. I needed a bag guy to anchor me and one that hits 20+ HRs is awesome. Since the draft it looks like he might start on the DL, so I’m not quite as excited, but still content.

Hero Pick: Wright. I was very happy to get my SBs with Upton even if he’s on the DL, but Wright has 1st round upside and should not have still been there. The team that drafted him loaded up way too much on CIs, even before the Wright pick, but with the value there I can’t blame him.

Villain Pick: Kendrick. I don’t think it’s a bad pick, just worse than the others. I think he will play at value here, but that is because of improvement. You are not benefitting in value.

Round 9

1. Madison Bumgarner (SF - SP) Storm VIII/S…

2. Mariano Rivera (NYY - RP) Clip Show

3. Lance Berkman (StL - 1B,LF,RF) Shooting Blanks

4. C.J. Wilson (LAA - SP) DrunkDrafter

5. Jimmy Rollins (Phi - SS) Toyko Rose o…

6. Jonathan Papelbon (Phi - RP) Baghwan’s Ba…

7. James Shields (TB - SP) Girls Don’t …

8. Ian Kennedy (Ari - SP) Uggies vs Yu…

My Pick: Lance Berkman. Everyone thought he was done last year and he wasn’t. Big Puma has always been a OBP stud. Last year he finished 22 in our settings. Picking him reminds me of Konerko being taken, except I took him a few rounds and I think there is more upside.

Hero Pick: Berkman. I think both Bumgarner and Wilson will be great value pick here, but I think Berkman is going to come close again and I’ll have a 3rd/4th rounder.

Villain Pick: Rollins. I like pick, but the others more. Rollins is just about at his value last year, and you have to imagine a regression with some age and more so without Utley and Howard for a while.

Round 10

1. Asdrubal Cabrera (Cle - SS) Uggies vs Yu…

2. Alex Gordon (KC - LF) Girls Don’t …

3. Gio Gonzalez (Was - SP) Baghwan’s Ba…

4. Michael Morse (Was - 1B,LF) Toyko Rose o…

5. Brian McCann (Atl - C) DrunkDrafter

6. John Axford (Mil - RP) Shooting Blanks

7. Desmond Jennings (TB - LF,CF) Clip Show

8. David Ortiz (Bos - Util) Storm VIII/S…

My Pick: John Axford. I was excited to get a top tier closer a round or too later than the others. Especially with all the injuries to closers already this year, I’m excited to have one of the elite.

Hero Pick: Desmond Jennings. Ortiz is always underrated, but Jennings is at a great price here. He is usually taken before pick 50, but it’s hard to exceed expectation there, but here he’s a steal.

Villain Pick: Cabrera. I had him last year and it was a value, but this is a classic example of paying for a career year. Of the group he has the least chance at repeating value.

The Draft: Part I

This week was the draft for my main fantasy baseball league. Composed of my brothers and friends, I’ve been playing for (wow) six years now, although some of them have been playing fantasy since before it was online. I can’t believe people would do that either.

This year we played with 8, with even further expanded rosters. I was 3rd pick for 29 rounds of bliss. Our league is 5x5 Roto, but instead of the conventional AVG, we play OBP (I suggest you all do the same), and an innings cap of 1650. (1650 works out to about 6 SPs and 5 RPs for the season).

Out positions: C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, CI, MI, LF, CF, RF, OF, OF, Util, Util, SP, SP, SP, SP, RP, RP, P, P, P, P, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, DL.

Just like any other draft it was unpredictable for the most part regardless of how many mock drafts you have done. Here are the first five rounds:

Round 1

1. Albert Pujols (LAA - 1B) Storm VIII/S…

2. Matt Kemp (LAD - CF) Clip Show

3. Miguel Cabrera (Det - 1B) Shooting Blanks

4. Jose Bautista (Tor - 3B,RF) DrunkDrafter

5. Robinson Cano (NYY - 2B) Toyko Rose o…

6. Troy Tulowitzki (Col - SS) Baghwan’s Ba…

7. Adrian Gonzalez (Bos - 1B) Girls Don’t …

8. Joey Votto (Cin - 1B) Uggies vs Yu…

My Pick: Miguel Cabrera. With the 3rd pick I took Miggy and couldn’t be happier. Coming into the draft I thought Miggy would be gone and I was set on Joey Bats since I love to get a strong 3B. Bautista is going to hit more HRs, but you can’t get more consistent than Miggy and since the 3B is coming, it was easy choice for me.

Hero Pick (Best): Miguel Cabrera. I promise I won’t be self-indulgent every round, but my pick of Cabrera the consensus number 1 with position scarce 3B, with the 3rd pick is the best value of the round.

Villain Pick (Worst): Robinson Cano. I just don’t trust Tulo for some reason, but the worst pick is Cano. I think he is incredibly talented and plays 2B, but in an OBP he is not nearly as deadly. He had only a .047 increase from AVG to OBP and I need more from my first pick. For perspective the best last year was Bautista at a .145 increase. If we played AVG I would Cano would have been fine.

Round 2

1. Prince Fielder (Det - 1B) Uggies vs Yu…

2. Jacoby Ellsbury (Bos - CF) Girls Don’t …

3. Justin Verlander (Det - SP) Baghwan’s Ba…

4. Ryan Braun (Mil - LF) Toyko Rose o…

5. Justin Upton (Ari - RF) DrunkDrafter

6. Dustin Pedroia (Bos - 2B) Shooting Blanks

7. Evan Longoria (TB - 3B) Clip Show

8. Carlos Gonzalez (Col - LF,CF,RF) Storm VIII/S…

My Pick: Dustin Pedroia. I took Pedroia, which was the game plan. 2B that finished 16th overall for OBP last year. He is a safe choice was happy to get another scarce position. Last year he was better than J. Upton, but at 2B instead of the outfield.

Hero Pick: Ryan Braun. This is the same owner that took Cano in the first round, redeemed himself with Braun who should have gone in the first round. If you flip his picks, his team looks like it should.

Villain Pick: CarGo. I’m not a huge J. Upton fan, but Carlos worries me too much. He has the chance to be a 1st rounder, but I don’t want to gamble with my 2nd pick. Also with so many OFs I would rather wait.

Round 3

1. Hanley Ramirez (Mia - SS) Storm VIII/S…

2. Jose Reyes (Mia - SS) Clip Show

3. Curtis Granderson (NYY - CF) Shooting Blanks

4. Ian Kinsler (Tex - 2B) DrunkDrafter

5. Clayton Kershaw (LAD - SP) Toyko Rose o…

6. Cliff Lee (Phi - SP) Baghwan’s Ba…

7. Roy Halladay (Phi - SP) Girls Don’t …

8. Mark Teixeira (NYY - 1B) Uggies vs Yu…

My Pick: Once again according to plan. It was tough to pass up on pitching, but Granderson finished 3rd overall in OBP leagues last year. No I’m not expecting him to duplicate, but he doesn’t have to get my money’s worth. Great OBP compared to AVG, and even if the power numbers aren’t there again, he’ll be a leader in Runs. Next year, he will be taken in the first round.

Hero Pick: Roy Halladay. Although I thought Curtis would be the pick of the round, but Halladay slipping to the end of the round is the steal. Potential to be the overall number one player. Done.

Villain Pick: Reyes. I am a big fan of HanRam to rebound, but I’m not with Reyes. I’ve been happy to never have gambled on him in previous seasons. Yes, he is a SS, but he’s too much of a risk for a 3rd pick.

Round 4

1. Andrew McCutchen (Pit - CF) Uggies vs Yu…

2. CC Sabathia (NYY - SP) Girls Don’t …

3. Mike Napoli (Tex - C,1B) Baghwan’s Ba…

4. Tim Lincecum (SF - SP) Toyko Rose o…

5. Adrian Beltre (Tex - 3B) DrunkDrafter

6. Felix Hernandez (Sea - SP) Shooting Blanks

7. Giancarlo Stanton (Mia - RF) Clip Show

8. Jered Weaver (LAA - SP) Storm VIII/S…

My Pick: Felix the Cat. I wanted to get a stud SP and did. My I would have preferred CC for the guaranteed wins. I consider taking Weaver, again for more wins, but you can help but want the consistency of Ks from Felix. Other than Ws he’ll be a stud.

Hero Pick: Beltre. As long as he can stay healthy, he will be a steal. Per games numbers were sick last year. He’s still in a great TEX park and potent lineup. Also 3B talent jumps off a cliff soon.

Villain Pick: Napoli. I’m a Napoli fan, especially in OBP, but he could have been taken next round and should have.

Round 5

1. Paul Konerko (CWS - 1B) Storm VIII/S…

2. Carlos Santana (Cle - C,1B) Clip Show

3. Matt Holliday (StL - LF) Shooting Blanks

4. Josh Hamilton (Tex - LF,CF) DrunkDrafter

5. Hunter Pence (Phi - RF) Toyko Rose o…

6. Pablo Sandoval (SF - 1B,3B) Baghwan’s Ba…

7. Cole Hamels (Phi - SP) Girls Don’t …

8. Ryan Zimmerman (Was - 3B) Uggies vs Yu…

My Pick: Holliday. If you play OBP Holliday is a name that you know. I didn’t really want to have another OF already (even though we play 5), but I feel very good about him playing value. Even with El Hombre gone, I am a lot happier taking him in front of Hamilton and Pence.

Hero Pick: Cole Hamels. Again I like my pick, but Hamels has the potential to beat the Felix, pick I made a full round earlier. Hamels is also the default winner. The OF picks are okay. Paul, Carlos, and Sandy were early. Zimm I like this late, but he has had his injury problems.

Villain Pick: Sandoval. I don’t like Konk or Santana either, but I am not a Sandoval fan. Sandy is injury risk, has terrible OBP, and might not hit in the heart of a weaker lineup. Sandy has to be passed on, especially with Zimm still there.

Updated 2012 Fantasy Baseball Player Rankings for OBP

With Spring Training and some injury reports I have updated my rankings for OBP leagues. Time pressed I have not written new descriptions for each player, but mostly go off of what I had last time. Enjoy!

1. Miguel Cabrera

2. Jose Bautista

3. Albert Pujols

4. Matt Kemp

5. Adrian Gonzalez

6. Joey Votto

7. Troy Tulowitzki

8. Ryan Braun

9. Prince Fielder

10. Jacoby Ellsbury

11. Robinson Cano

12. Dustin Pedroia

13. Curtis Granderson

14. Justin Verlander

15. Clayton Kershaw

16. Roy Halladay

17. Hanley Ramirez

18. Justin Upton

19. Cliff Lee

20. Ian Kinsler

21. Carlos Gonzalez

22. Evan Longoria

23. Mark Teixeira

24. Jose Reyes

25. Andrew McCutchen

26. CC Sabathia

27. Tim Lincecum

28. Felix Hernandez

29. Jered Weaver

30. Adrian Beltre

31. Cole Hamels

32. Giancarlo Stanton

33. David Wright

34. Ryan Zimmerman

35. Matt Holliday

36. Josh Hamilton

37. Hunter Pence

38. Dan Haren

39. Kevin Youkilis

40. Ben Zobrist

41. Dan Uggla

42. David Price

43. Brett Lawrie

44. Jay Bruce

45. Paul Konerko

46. Alex Rodriguez

47. Mike Napoli

48. Nelson Cruz

49. Desmond Jennings

50. Zack Greinke

51. Elvis Andrus

52. Craig Kimbrel

53. Carlos Santana

54. Brandon Phillips

55. Matt Cain

56. Jon Lester

57. B.J. Upton

58. Michael Bourn

59. Jonathan Papelbon

60. Mariano Rivera

61. John Axford

62. Lance Berkman

63. Stephen Strasburg

64. C.J. Wilson

65. Adam Wainwright

66. Yu Darvish

67. James Shields

68. Madison Bumgarner

69. Michael Young

70. Starlin Castro

71. Michael Morse

72. Shin-Soo Choo

73. Shane Victorino

74. Pablo Sandoval

75. Yovani Gallardo

76. Michael Cuddyer

77. Howie Kendrick

78. Alex Gordon

79. Jason Heyward

80. Jimmy Rollins

81. Asdrubal Cabrera

82. Ian Kennedy

83. Matt Moore

84. Heath Bell

85. Carlos Beltran

86. Nick Swisher

87. Drew Storen

88. Buster Posey

89. Brett Gardner

90. Rickie Weeks

91. Carl Crawford

92. Aramis Ramirez

93. Brian McCann

94. Mat Latos

95. Josh Johnson

96. Tommy Hanson

97. Drew Stubbs

98. Corey Hart

99. Daniel Hudson

100. Eric Hosmer

101. Ryan Howard

102. Joe Mauer

103. Dee Gordon

104. Matt Wieters

105. Ricky Romero

106. Brandon Beachy

107. Jayson Werth

108. Matt Garza

109. Michael Pineda

110. J.J. Putz

111. Paul Goldschmidt

112. Ichiro Suzuki

113. Alex Avila

114. Miguel Montero

115. Ike Davis

116. Gio Gonzalez

117. Logan Morrison

118. Jose Valverde

119. Andrew Bailey

120. Joel Hanrahan

121. Brian Wilson

122. Chris Carpenter

123. Jordan Walden

124. David Ortiz

125. Josh Beckett

126. Derek Jeter

127. Chris Young

128. Adam Jones

129. Freddie Freeman

130. Cameron Maybin

131. Billy Butler

132. Andre Ethier

133. Dustin Ackley

134. Mark Reynolds

135. Huston Street

136. Carlos Marmol

137. J.J. Hardy

138. Yoenis Cespedes

139. Melky Cabrera

140. Cory Luebke

141. Shaun Marcum

142. Dexter Fowler

143. Brandon Morrow

144. Nick Markakis

145. Jesus Montero

146. Erick Aybar

147. Martin Prado

148. Coco Crisp

149. Jeff Francoeur

150. Jordan Zimmermann

151. Ervin Santana

152. Jason Motte

153. Jason Kipnis

154. Kendrys Morales

155. Lucas Duda

156. Josh Willingham

157. Ubaldo Jimenez

158. Jemile Weeks

159. Adam Lind

160. Anibal Sanchez

161. Alexei Ramirez

162. David Freese

163. Sergio Santos

164. Rafael Betancourt

165. Joe Nathan

166. Alejandro De Aza

167. Yunel Escobar

168. Neil Walker

169. Doug Fister

170. Hiroki Kuroda

171. Johnny Cueto

172. Max Scherzer

173. Jhonny Peralta

174. Austin Jackson

175. Brandon League

176. Kyle Farnsworth

177. Brett Myers

178. Chris Perez

179. Javy Guerra

180. Adam Dunn

181. Emilio Bonifacio

182. Peter Bourjos

183. Torii Hunter

184. Mike Moustakas

185. Jaime Garcia

186. Clay Buchholz

187. Matt Capps

188. Frank Francisco

189. Jim Johnson

190. Mike Minor

191. Vance Worley

192. Derek Holland

193. Ian Desmond

194. Carlos Pena

195. Ryan Roberts

196. Edwin Encarnacion

197. Brennan Boesch

198. Jason Kubel

199. Jeremy Hellickson

200. J.P. Arencibia

201. Jose Tabata

202. Neftali Feliz

203. Mark Trumbo

204. Geovany Soto

205. Matt Joyce

206. Gaby Sanchez

207. Ryan Dempster

208. Colby Rasmus

209. Mitch Moreland

210. Brandon McCarthy

211. Matt Thornton

212. Grant Balfour

213. Sean Marshall

214. Chase Utley

215. Jhoulys Chacin

216. Russell Martin

217. Brandon Belt

218. Greg Holland

219. Alex Rios

220. Tim Hudson

221. Kelly Johnson

222. Yadier Molina

223. Bud Norris

224. Wandy Rodriguez

225. Justin Masterson

226. Carlos Quentin

227. Chris Heisey

228. Edwin Jackson

229. Stephen Drew

230. Edinson Volquez

231. Carlos Lee

232. Jair Jurrjens

233. Mike Carp

234. J.D. Martinez

235. Alfonso Soriano

236. Erik Bedard

237. Ryan Doumit

238. Chase Headley

239. Colby Lewis

240. Alexi Ogando

241. Angel Pagan

242. Delmon Young

243. Ted Lilly

244. John Danks

245. Chris Sale

246. Rafael Furcal

247. Scott Baker

248. Tim Stauffer

249. Vladimir Guerrero

250. Vinnie Pestano

Best of the Yahoo Forums

As some of you know, since you found me on there, I have been hosting question and answer sessions in the Yahoo Draft and Trade Talk forum.  I want to thank you all for the questions and as a help to others I decided to make a collection of the most helpful and best questions.  If you have any other fantasy questions and I’m not on Yahoo boards, please ask me through Twitter @RotoHero or Tumblr.  Don’t forget to follow me so you can keep up to date with my articles throughout the season.

Do you prefer having more bench hitters or bench pitchers? I can see the validity to both sides, but I generally go with extra pitching to get somewhat of a rotation going within my team. Thoughts?

For H2H I have more pitchers usually (assuming there are limits to add/drops), but for Roto I have more Hitters.

I have more hitters in Roto because I need them for everyday, fill in on an off day or injury. For SP outside of my core 4-6 depending on league size, you can pick up a SP for a spot start usually pretty easily. It's easier to find a pitcher once a week than a fill batter for 6 days.

For a spot start look for who's pitching against the Padres in Petco or whoever else is bad, then drop them after they started. Unless they were amazing you can probably get them again after waivers, if not ride them. There is too much holding time with an extra SP.

Drafted Soria and the former Nunez, now I'm hurting for a closer, who's an unknown that may get a chance to get saves?

Sorry to hear.
Back up to Soria should be Broxton or maybe Holland, I would start there.
OAK is not set in stone Fuentes or Balfour.
I think Jensen for LAD is good even if he doesn't close.
Perez in CLE is weak, so maybe Pestano at some point in time.
Those I think are the best bets.

Do you think Adam Lind can be top 100 player again or do you think his earlier success was just a fluke?

I think that Lind is the player in between his 2009 break out year and last years dud. Toronto has a greatly improved, so the opportunities will be there, but I think 2009 was his max. Definitely still serviceable, but I would rather gamble on Yoenis Céspedes a few picks behind him. Also I play OBP mostly, and Lind does not walk. Move him further down if you do as well.

Thoughts on a trade

side a: J-up, Starlin castro, Howie Kendrick and Grienke
side B; Bautista, Holliday, Andrus, and Kuroda

 If you are playing OBP league, side B all the way. Assuming you are playing AVG, it feels pretty fair, I would still lean toward Side B.

If you are side A who do you have at 2B, side B who do you have to back up at 3B if you trade Jose.

I am more sold on everyone on B, except Kuroda, but pitching for the Yankees I think he will get enough wins to get 12-15 round value.
Side A looks good, but for me its every player I'm just not quite sold on.

Is Pence a number 1 of option or more of a 2? 10 team roto standard 5x5 league

I guess it is all based on perspective.

I would say that he is not a first tier OF with Joey Bats, Gonz, Braun, Jacoby, etc. but I would say he is in that next OF tier.

That being said, I try not to draft OF early on because you can find lots of OF talent later on. If a 1st tier OF falls to me I will take him, but I hope that I don't take an OF until someone like Pence. So for me he becomes my OF anchor.

Would you drop colby lewis or john danks to pick up liriano?

I'm more excited about Lirano after saying he is past last year's shoulder injury, but I would prefer Lewis and Danks. I would drop Danks first if you want to pull the trigger though.

Would you trade Halladay for Cargo?

Depends on who you have on offense and pitching, but I would rather have Halladay.

Sandoval or Lawrie?

Lawrie for me. I'm not a believer in the Panda. If you play OBP like I do, Lawrie no question.

12-team Roto, 5 x 5, keeper league (keep 10 players), featuring OBP rather than BA.  Draft therefore basically "begins" in round 11. Non-snake draft.  I never protect closers. Very few managers in league do.  Counting from the first pick in the 11th round (due to 10 keepers per manager), I have the Nos. 10, 13, 14 and 22 selections.  League features 3 RP spots so closers dry up around round 5 (15, to be accurate). Need at least 3 closers to rank in the top 3 in that category.

Do I spend two of my first four picks on closers, and lock up two elite closers (Papelbon & Storen, for example) and then wait to pick up a late-round flier like Addison Reed?  Or do I ignore closers until round 4 (14) and bear the risk of a closer run where I wind up with dog poop and Frank Francisco (one in the same?) responsible for saves?

 Glad to see you are playing OBP like I do.

I'm sure they go fast, but I would use my first pick on an elite closer because you need it and they will also provide value better than the 11th round. Then worry about the other ones as need. I'm sure there is an SP or bat at 12 that would be better than paying for Storen.

In a 12 team roto league what round do you take your first starting pitcher in?

The answer is it depends, on position/trends. If people are reaching or they don't line up maybe a round early. I love Kershaw/Hall/Verlander, but I would rather pass on them unless they are sitting there. I like to take my first pitcher at or before Haren/Price.

CC is usually my first pitcher. I love getting the wins and he is a consistent value.

Rough answer 4th round.

12 team roto 5x5 money league, good drafters 1.miggy 2.pujols I have 3rd pick, best option and why?

I happen to have the 3rd pick in my draft too, I'm all about Joey Bats at 3. We've seen two straight great years and he is at 3B which has a big drop off. I like too many OFs late to take Kemp and even though SS is scarce I don't believe Tulo will finish at his draft pick like Bats will.

TEAM A
hamels, pedroia, gordon
TEAM B
castro, zobrist, Brian wilson, Gio gonzalez

Generic stats
Who Wins and WHY? THANK YOU

Keeping this isolated from team depth and needs. I would prefer team A.

I would rather have pedroia to zob and hamels to castro. B wilson and G Gonz I don't like that much more than Gordon and not enough to make up the difference of the other ones.

Hey Roto Hero, where I can I find a list of rankings for only the top 20 20 guys, if I wanted to draft using that type of strategy.

Not sure specifically, but you could go onto BaseballMonster.com and customize league settings for just HR and SB. The projections you have to be a member for, but you could find out who was in the club last year.

Hanley or Reyes

HanRam for sure. Even if I didn't believe HanRam was going to rebound, which I do, I don't have a lot of faith in Reyes. Too many injuries for me. I'll get my bags later at less risk.

Wainwright, Johnson or Latos for 2012?

Wainwright first, then Latos because I've been burned by the Johnson injury plague.

Ackley + Markakis or Phillips + Carp?

Leaning towards Philips and Carp. You get the best player in Philips and I am not to high on Markakis. Carp should provide some value. I like Ackley, but think he is so restrained by that SEA lineup.

I need to get some OF power and closers. I'm getting different offers, being CarGo for Lester + Beachy the one that is really causing me problems on deciding if should I take it or not.
The other trades offers I've got are:
I give Cueto I get Heyward
I give Masterson I get Bailey

I don't like CarGo for Lester and Beachy. If I give up a 1/2nd rounder I want a top tier SP back.

I do like both Cueto for Heyward and Masterson for Bailey. Cueto will not duplicate last year and Heyward is too talented to not go for it. Also you have to take the BOS closer if you can and for Masterson. Done in my opinion.

2012 Fantasy Baseball Rankings for OBP (201-250)

This raps up my 2012 Fantasy Baseball Rankings for OBP leagues.  Feel free to leave comments or questions.  If you missed the previous posts you can see them here: 1-50, 51-100, 101-150, 151-200.  Please follow me if you like my rankings, or on Twitter: @RotoHero.  Keep an eye out of other articles prepping you for the upcoming fantasy baseball season.

201. Frank Francisco - Closer.

202. Clay Buchholz - That no-hitter looms on him forever.  Drop him if he fails.

203. Mitch Moreland - Fun lineup to be apart.

204. Carlos Quentin - Yes he's in Petco for half his games, but he is batting in the heart.

205. Derek Holland - One of my favorite young pitcher you can get late.

206. Tim Hudson - Great still, but just getting to be a bigger gamble.

207. Jhoulys Chacin - Was one of my sleepers last year, I don't want to give up yet.

208. Kelly Johnson - Probably a good value here.

209. Yadier Molina - Big contract, but I love a C that plays as much as Yady does.

210. Bud Norris - Fairly solid last year, but wins will be hard to come by.

211. Wandy Rodriguez - Great if you only start him at home.

212. Justin Masterson - Last year's ERA 3.21.  Late enough to see it again.

213. Jason Kubel - Would like to forget 2011, but could rebound.

214. Ryan Roberts - 2B/3B combo, young player who had a great first half last year.

215. Chris Heisey - Based on his last year's sample, he's projected for 30+ HRs, 100+ RBIs.

216. Vance Worley - Sleeper Alert.  Pitches for PHI.  Looked great in half a season.

217. Matt Capps - Closer.

218. Jim Johnson - Closer.

219. Brandon McCarthy - Another sleeper.  There's a reason he's OAK's ace.

220. Edwin Jackson - There's a chance he's great as WAS 4th starter.

221. Adam Dunn - Yes he burned everyone last year, but not many people with a chance at 40 HRs.

222. Stephen Drew - SS in a great situation.  Injuries the problem.

223. Mike Minor - Upside.

224. Edinson Volquez - Now at Petco.

225. Carlos Lee - Old, but solid.

226. Brandon Belt - Big prospect if they let him play.

227. Jair Jurrjens - A step above a spot starter.

228. Mike Carp - Pretty excited about him.  Should win position battle.

229. J.D. Martinez - Was great when he was given a chance last season.  Weak lineup though.

230. Alfonso Soriano - How the mighty have fallen.

231. Erik Bedard - Former ace.

232. Matt Thornton - Closer.

233. Chase Headley - Half his games are not at Petco.  Heart of the lineup.

234. Colby Lewis - Good value this late for a former hot pickup.

235. Carlos Pena - Better in OBP.  Hard to get power out here.

236. Alexi Ogando - If he makes rotation should be good.

237. Angel Pagan - 32 bags in only 123 games last season.

238. Delmon Young - DH for DET now that Victor is out for the year.

239. Ted Lilly - K rate is always bad but still reliable.

240. John Danks - Always dances with dominance.

241. Chris Sale - Moving into rotation after great bullpen work.

242. Rafael Furcal - If he's healthy.

243. Jason Bay - Comeback unlikely, but why not gamble.

244. Scott Baker - Solid for here.

245. Tim Stauffer - I feel like a broken record, but Petco pitcher.

246. Russell Martin - As late as he goes, will be a few Cs that play at value.

247. Vladimir Guerrero - If he finds a home.

248. Nolan Reimold - Fun to watch on a promising team.

249. Ben Revere - Speed late.

250. Brett Myers - Closer.  With SP eligibility.