Fantasy Baseball Express

The Fantasy Man's 2018 Fantasy Baseball OF Outfield Rankings

2018-02-26T11:51:00.000-05:00

The Fantasy Man's 2018 Fantasy Baseball OF Outfielders Rankings

Not going to bore you with too much opinion in paragraph form here. There's a large group of breakout/sleeper potential as you scroll down. I'm living between the low hype 30 year olds and that breakout/sleeper group. So many good players up top, but if you believe in groups 3-5 (includes that small speed group), then you can load up on position scarcity and pitching up top the draft.

The Elite:

Mike Trout - Elite.
Bryce Harper - What happens when you're going for the richest contract in sports history?
Mookie Betts - Betts or Blackmon? Finkle and Einhorn?
Charlie Blackmon - Blackmon or Betts? Einhorn and Finkle?
Giancarlo Stanton - Load up on power early - Fantasy Man specialty with a late first round pick
Aaron Judge - Grab 100 HR and 220 RBI with the wraparound pick in a 12 teamer, love it!
JD Martinez - Will be a beast in BOS and my back up if I miss on Stanton
George Springer - Can't go wrong here leading off for top offense considering his power/speed

Power/Speed or Power/Hype:

Andrew Benintendi - Love the .300+ BA upside but today he's a more expensive AJ Pollock
Cody Bellinger - Love the upside but feel like he peaked power wise as a rookie
AJ Pollock - If there's a year for a major breakout, this is it - nice power/speed/BA combo
Tommy Pham - Slightly younger and less injury prone AJ Pollock but is he real?
Christian Yelich - Lefty in a hitters park and potent lineup that likes to run, breakout incoming
Marcell Ozuna - Peaked last year and doesn't run but will still pad stats
Starling Marte - 5 cats if he can get 18+HR with 40SB
Lorenzo Cain - Cheaper version of Starling Marte with maybe slightly more power but less bags
Byron Buxton - Everyone on him as sleeper, nervous he's not consistent yet
Rhys Hoskins - Mega power, dual eligibility but same concern as Buxton - over hyped

There's a lot going on in this next group. I'm intrigued with undervalued 30 year olds who seem to be pushed aside for better-hyped younger players. They're all in the middle of their prime, former hyped all stars and being passed over for guys like Tommy Pham (although he's 29), Rhys Hoskins, Byron Buxton and even Ronald Acuna. I get the upside of those guys but you can make a nice living loading up on these experienced players as the hyped players are being plucked off the board.

Undervalued Power 30 year olds:

Yoenis Cespedes - sort of forgotten a bit in drafts, Mets lineup quietly looking potent, like the value
Kris Davis - HR/RBI machine, low BA and SB but useful to pad power if you have BA elsewhere
Justin Upton - Big year least year, professional hitter, destroys lefties and he's only 30, undervalued
Jay Bruce - Same has Upton minus the lefties, also only 30 and undervalued
Andrew McCutchen - 25-30HR is fine but .275 BA and only 10 SB seems a little overvalued
Ryan Braun - Stock decreased, viewed as old but still capable of a really solid season
Adam Duvall - 40HR power, lighting quick bat but .240 type BA ( I do think there's BA upside here)
Adam Jones - Super automatic with stats, durable, nice floor of .270/25/80
Eric Thames - Big power,

I put these two in its own tier because they should be drafted based on need. I usually don't think of them in ADP terms. I draft when I feel like I need to draft them depending on strategy and how my team is looking as I draft category-wise. If I load up on say Stanton/Judge or Stanton/Martinez end of 1st round, I'm looking for Gordon or Billy Ham sometime in the 6th -10th rounds.

Billy Hamilton - He'll cover half your SB's, get a .270+BA and he's so money
Dee Gordon - Hamilton with a .300 BA and dual eligibility

Upside? Breakouts? Undervalued?

Yasiel Puig - Breakout incoming. I'm just going to leave this here....
Ian Desmond - Injury risk keeps price down but obvious 25/20 in Coors
Ian Happ - They say he's special and low BA last year will keep price down, buying opportunity
Eduardo Nunez - Signed with Boston, will start year at 2B, appears fully healthy
Avisail Garcia - .300 BA with power upside on the cheap - upside wins championships
Nick Castellanos - Touted on many sleeper lists, break out possible but its no longer sneaky
Michael Conforto - Mets offense looking sneaky solid, should lead off, nice value here
Chris Taylor - Multi-positional, will lead off with .280/20/20+ ability
Kevin Kiermier - Big sleeper IMO and cheaper than Taylor for same or more output
Domingo Santana - Assuming he plays full time there's some nice low key BA/power upside here
Eddie Rosario - One of those guys you look last years stats and go... "Really? I better bump him up"
Manuel Margot - SD was dreadful last year, dude has talent, power and speed on the cheap
Trey Mancini - By this time next year he should be up in that second tier, good thing hype is low
Bradley Zimmer - Power/speed combo but likely comes with a low BA and some injury risk
Marwin Gonzalez - Multi-positional, 20/90 safe projection with a few steals
Ender Inciarte - Speedster who delivers solid BA and maybe a few dingers, lite Brett Gardner
Adam Eaton - BA, OBP, Runs, SB but dude is always hurt

Fill in your 4th and 5th OF spots with the ultimate post-hype players. This seems to be my personal OF sleeper group. I'll be surprised if we don't get at least 3 gems here:

Gregory Polanco - Stock is way down. Darryl Strawberry upside or JD Drew downside?
Odubel Herrera - One of my favorite sleepers in all of fantasy baseball and sooo cheap
Nomar Mazara - He's only 22, fairly safe 20/90 floor, only way is up
Kyle Schwarber - K's a ton, power is legit, destroyed the minors, only 24 - gamble for cheap
Randal Grichuk - There's 40 HR upside in TOR, poor man's Kris Davis
Brett Gardner - Sneaky power, leads off for what 'might be' the greatest offensive lineup in history
David Dahl - Its simply health at this point, still young, 20/20 upside in Coors
Joc Pederson - If he plays mostly everyday there's some huge upside here
Steven Souza - Just traded to ARI and ballpark raises his appeal slightly
Max Kepler - Only 25, takes walks, makes contacts, doesn't K a ton and has power but bad vs lefties
Charlie Tilson - Just feels like a .270/12/25 type of player, Like a Kevin Kiermaier lite
Aaron Hicks - .270/20/10 seems like a floor to me, talent is there, will play CF every day
Mitch Haniger - Could be serviceable in all cats, deliver .280+ BA, maybe 20 HR if he stays healthy
Corey Dickerson - DFA'd last week tells me to pass for now but also creates buying opportunity
Nick Williams - Should play every day in 2017
Stephen Piscotty - Forgotten man, hurt all last year, good contact skills, 20HR power
Aaron Altherr - Should be 4th OF depending on where Hoskins/Santana play
Hunter Renfroe - Stock way down, mucho power bat but possible platoon, def stash
Michael Taylor - K's a ton, Robles in the wings but has power/speed combo
Lewis Brinson - Should be a bright spot in Miami, was highly touted last year and no hype this year
Matt Kemp - Like him most over the group below for 450AB, 25+HR
Scott Schebler - Low BA but power is legit

Rookies/Prospects you might want to think about and stash. Acuna will be costly and rightfully so but the rest should be cheap stashes late in drafts...

Willie Calhoun - This guy rakes but apparently god awful withglove which limits opportunity
Ronald Acuna - Buy and stash, he's legit
Austin Hays - Looks like he's going to start year in the majors
Jesse Winker - Thought are he could unseat Billy Hamilton at lead off, is an OBP machine
Victor Robles - No room to play every day, stash candidate
Toescar Hernandez - Needs an injury
Clint Frazier - Dude can rake but needs a trade at this point
Eloy Jimenez - Only 21, 6'4" should develop power, needs time in AA and above

Fillers that have some name value, maybe start the year hot, reserve picks you can plug-in in a pinch or simply turn around and have a Jorge Posada-like Age 37 rebound year out of nowhere...

Carlos Gomez - Signed in Tampa, 5th OF or Bench stash for me
Carlos Gonzalez - Could be steal of the draft or just continue to free fall
Jose Bautista - Maybe 25HR+ pulling ball in Tampa?
Melky Cabrera - Nice serviceable player
Kole Calhoun - AL Only guys for me
David Peralta - Nice real life player but not enough stats
Mark Trumbo - still low BA power option, just no hype
Michael Brantley - Always hurt, worth a bench play
Dexter Fowler - Auto stats
Jackie Bradley - Feel like we're all holding on to that one good season
Yasmany Tomas - Is he going to play every day?

The Fantasy Man's 2018 Fantasy Baseball 3B Third Base Rankings

2018-02-16T15:52:00.002-05:00

The Fantasy Man's 2018 Fantasy Baseball 3B Third Basemen Rankings

Not much surprise here. I seem to align myself with Machado and Ramirez. I like Machado because there's a ton of room for upside rather than grabbing someone whose already shown the top production.

Nolan Arenado - Beast, top 5 pick, Coors field, position scarcity, you get it all here
Manny Machado - Last years numbers may have some pass, but upside wins fantasy championships
Jose Ramirez - 5 cats, potent lineup, only 25, multi positions, seems the safest of the bunch
Josh Donaldson - Feels like a rebound year, 30+HR but just lacks the SB
Kris Bryant - Solid all around and still with some room to grow
Anthony Rendon - Injuries derailed 2016, last year was a nice uptick but I feel like there's more...

This group is ripe. Many players here could easily bump up top by seasons end like Bregman, Devers and Shaw. I like to use Gallo to load up on power if I plan for BA elsewhere. I like also like stacking Gallo with Giancarlo Stanton (early pick) and Miguel Sano (slightly later pick). Monster power to stack all 3.

Travis Shaw - This is my target if I miss above, hitter park, potent lineup, steals bases, big power
Joey Gallo - I feel there's some BA upside (not a lot but some), mega power, RBI's and some bags
Miguel Sano - Power with high BA upside and will be slightly undervalued at the draft
Nick Castellanos - Showing up on breakout lists but doesn't steal bases
Matt Carpenter - If healthy could offer some nice profit as he seems very undervalued in drafts
Alex Bregman - Can easily launch himself into top group, upside here, invest in keeper leagues
Rafael Devers - Legit prospect could be rookie of year. I like but I'm not overpaying for a prospect
Justin Turner - This guy hits, middle of order, durable, low hype, potent lineup, safe play here
Jake Lamb - King of the bad 2nd half, I think he puts it together while everyone down on him
Marwin Gonzalez - Safe versatility at .290/20/90/5 and should play everyday
Kyle Seager - I see him falling in drafts, SEA park hurts but you know what you're getting
Adrian Beltre - Decent value in drafts but I'm just glazing over him as to not deal with the ? marks

The usual question mark group. This is where you find your cheap power late in drafts. Franco, Baez and Chapman my favorite sleepers from this group. I like Chapman here as he's a bit forgotten after the Matt Olsen hit parade late last season.

Maikel Franco - Youth, power upside legit, Hoskins steals thunder, but never had team around him
Todd Frazier - 35+HR power, RBI's but with low BA
Evan Longoria - He's a bust for me every year and the the days of being considered elite are gone
Eugenio Suarez - Nice undervalued pick here in a hitters park
Zack Cozart - 20HR+ power but I can't decide if he's just another JJ Hardy
Javier Baez - Still like him with 500+ AB and super cheap thinking he's a starter by 2019
Matt Chapman - Power upside here, BA may hurt but nice value as Matt Olsen will overshadow
Tim Beckham - Nice power upside, maybe a few bags, maybe a .270 BA

The Rookie and Prospect class this year at 3B is quite strong. Spring training performances will dictate who's a starter out of camp. Nick Senzel is by far the most talented of the bunch this early. Andujar will have some fantasy trade appeal if he gets some more hype out of ST for the Yankees.

Nick Senzel
Johan Camargo
Jeimer Candelario
Miguel Andujar
Rio Ruiz

The rest of the bunch. These guys all have position eligibility and maybe another one or two things to like....

Hernan Perez - has speed and pop
Yangervis Solarte - projected for 20+HR in TOR
Wilmer Flores - destroys lefties
Sean Rodriguez - always has a good hot streak in him when healthy
Jedd Gyorko - power option with some BA if he gets playing time

The Fantasy Man's 2018 Fantasy Baseball SS Shortstops Rankings

2018-02-13T11:15:00.001-05:00

The Fantasy Man's 2018 Fantasy Baseball SS Shortstop Rankings

Shortstop as usual feels weak but like 2B, I like the upside of many of the players that could be had on the cheap. Players like Chris Taylor, Javier Baez, Addison Russell, Orlando Arcia and Marcus Semien all offer some kind of power and or speed combo and all have youth on their side. Middle infield this year is tricky but there's some breakout candidates hidden below. Either way, I'm treating Trea Turner as top 4 pick overall in any draft. If I have the last wraparound pick, I look to grab any two of Correia/Machado/Ramirez to soak up some position scarcity early. Lindor falls in the last 2nd early 3rd for those with the top pick and the second wraparound.

Trea Turner - Full season could net you 20HR/60SB - no brainer top 4 pick overall for me
Carlos Correia - .300/30/100/90 but lacks SB in a top 1st round pick
Manny Machado - Same as Correia but .290BA+ upside with 6-10 SB
Jose Ramirez - Contributes heavily to all 5 cats and is cheaper than Correia/Machado
Francisco Lindor - The value over Correia/Machado lies here. Same power, more speed, but less BA
Corey Seager - .295/22/77 in 2017 but was hurt all year, nice upside with health

Quality group here as I like the idea of loading up power with Story, I think he's better than a .243 BA. I also feel Bogearts has more to offer than what we've seen so if he falls in my lap cheap I'll sleep at night...

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Elvis Andrus - This guy was a monster, cool if its real but I'm not buying it until he does it again
Didi Gregorious - Left power in Yankee Stadium, solid average, potent lineup - makes sense
Trevor Story - Dude has 35 HR power but risk a - .260 BA. If he hits .270+ you'll profit
Xander Bogearts - Most peg for a bust as projections are weak but I actually like a sneaky break out

This is the group where The Fantasy Man does his damage. So much upside here. I'm happy with any one, two, or three of these guys soaking up my middle infield. really like the versatility in this group as well...

Eduardo Nunez - 30 SB upside, .300BA potential, multi position eligibility but is a bit injury prone
Jean Segura - Contributes in all cats but could reasonably expect .300/12-15HR/23-26SB
Chris Taylor - I like the .280/20/20 potential batting leadoff for a potent lineup
Marwin Gonzalez - I'm a believer in the power, the playing time, and the multi position eligibility
Paul Dejong - Another out of nowhere performance I have trouble deciding if it was real
Addison Russell - I bump up because talent is there, still only 24 and will be overlooked heavily
Javier Baez - The opportunity factor is keeping his price low. I believe in the break out ...
Orlando Arcia - power/speed combo who makes contact, only 23 but bats low in the order
Marcus Semien - Capable of a 25+/15 season with sub .270 BA but on the cheap, poor mans T Story
Tim Anderson - power/speed combo with contact issues, only 24, bats lead off, hitters park = upside
Jose Peraza - Still has the 40SB potential, will start the year at SS, and is seemingly overlooked

Here's your speculation group. Some real nice prospects. We've seen Swanson's stock take a dip after underperforming as a rookie last season. His stock is so low that you can stash him for a buck in most mixed auction keeper leagues. Otherwise, I'm passing over these guys because I can't be bothered honestly :)

Dansby Swanson - Nice low hype after dismal rookie season, still talented though
Ahmed Rosario - All 'pedigree' but hasn't shown any power, his hype costs too much
JP Crawford - All hype in minors, but hasn't proven anything including power or speed
Ketel Marte - BA/Speed is enticing but likely hit at the bottom of order, feels like O Arcia of '17
Jorge Polanco - Could get a .275/15/15+ out of him with some good BABIP, only 24 and the starter

These guys are serviceable and likely the first ones you'll pick up off the waiver wire after a hot start in April. Tulo has obviously talent but the injury risk is just too much to deal with. They are play almost every day and are simply serviceable, better in AL or NL Only formats.

Brandon Crawford - $1-$3 production is serviceable
Tim Beckham - Offers 20HR/70RBI upside but has contact issues
Troy Tulowitzski - Health, cough cough, oh I broke my hamstring
Yangervis Solarte - For when Tulo breaks his hamstring, 20+HR in TOR with good BA
Alcides Escobar - I expect more of the same unless he pulls an Elvis Andrus 2017 out of his rear
Andrelton Simmons - Great real life player but just doesn't accumulate enough in mixed leagues

The Fantasy Man's 2018 Fantasy Baseball 2B Second Base Rankings

2018-02-12T18:14:00.002-05:00

The Fantasy Man's 2018 Fantasy Baseball 2B Second Basemen Rankings

I think there's quick perception that 2B is weak this year and looking at the this list, it feels like that could be obvious. You have your top 7 or 8, a few questions marks, and then its anyone's guess from there. However, I think this is fairly deep. I could see this being a position where if I miss out on overpaying for Jose Altuve I'll just wait until the end of the draft and scoop up a Jason Kipnis, Ian Kinsler, Javier Baez, Starlin Castro, Jonathan Villar, or Kolten Wong and totally sleep well at night.

This first group is obvious. You can make a case to bump down Robinson Cano since he's 35 but the dude still mashes, never gets hurt, and will contribute in everything but SB, including OBP. So here you go, the obvious...

Jose Altuve - #2 pick in draft all day and yes, I'm paying $50 in an auction
Jose Ramirez - .300BA/30HR/20SB/100R/85RBI upside, still only 25 and nice discount to Altuve
Brian Dozier - Difference from Ramirez is BA, but offers more power
Daniel Murphy - Has knee thing, news hasn't updated yet but nice discount for early drafts
Jonathan Scoop - Dozier upside with better BA but minus the speed in a hitters park
Robinson Cano - He's 35 this year but he's durable and still contributes above average in top 4 cats

This is my target group below if I miss on Altuve. I love the multi position eligibility of Eduardo Nunez, Chris Taylor and Marwin Gonzalez. Taylor is going to lead off with that power/speed combo and Gonzalez has shown ability to hit for power and batting average with a 5-10 SB. Great news is that both players are rarely chosen before the 10th round which is about where Taylor goes. Gonzalez's ADP is 185 which to me is criminal. You can get Nunez in rounds 6-8 but I like Taylor as the better value a few rounds later.

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Eduardo Nunez -Multi eligibility .300/20/30 upside, injured knee late 2017, 6-7th round ADP
Chris Taylor - Multi eligibility .280/20/20 guy leading off in a potentate lineup. Yes please!
Marwin Gonzalez - Multi eligibility, found power stroke last year, really nice value for production
Dee Gordon - BA and speed is what you get here, will play CF and pad your SB cat
Whit Merrifield - Late bloomer feels like a .290/15/25 season but I don't like the lineup behind him
Rougned Odor - Question mark, 30/15 combo but can hit .200, BA upside here but risky for cost
Scooter Gennett - This guy cracks me up .295/27/97 last year out of nowhere. He's only 27 but I don't see the repeat, but thats just me.

There's some heavy upside in this group for sure. Everyone here has talent and opportunity, but huge questions marks. Personally, I love the upside of Javier Baez with full playing time. I love the value with Jonathan Villar with playing time as his stock is super low. And Starlin Castro is a nice fallback option if you get desperate.

DJ LeMahieu - Bump down because he lacks HR/RBI/SB. Not enough there for me to take seriously
Jason Kipnis - I like how he's low hype this year, he's only 30, should be a nice value if healthy
Ian Kinsler - Most will just pass over like Kipnis and he's still get you 20/10+ or close, another value
Starlin Castro - He hasn't padded stats, but there's hidden upside here on the cheap at age 27
Paul Dejong - This is my biggest ? in the draft this year, total crapshoot performance goes either way
Javier Baez - I want to be onboard when this guy gets 500+ AB, could be the year, nice sleeper value
Jose Peraza - Lacks the power but plenty of upside if he has a full-time position
Ian Happ - Feels like the Joc Pederson of 2B, mega power, some speed, walks, but K's a ton
Ozzie Albies - Could be 20/20, could be 10/10. They say he's special, don't overpay unless dynasty
Yoan Moncada - Nice power/speed upside but will fan 30% of the time
Jonathan Villar - Research spring news, if he rights ship he's steal of the draft #yourwelcome
Kolten Wong - There's upside here in both power and speed, decent BA, OBP for stupid cheap
Josh Harrison - Solid and serviceable player who contributes to all 5 cats especially if he bats up top
Yangervis Solarte - Move to TOR + 400 AB could get you 18-22 HR with a .280+ BA
Wilmer Flores - 25+HR power and destroys lefties, 400+AB will return nice value
Cesar Hernandez - BA, runs and SB if he leads off as a full-timer
Logan Forsythe - Last year we were talking about a 20HR/.260/8SB guy before injury season
Chris Owings - Dude was white hot to start the year then broke a finger, ARI need to trade Drury
Brandon Drury - Its Owings or Drury, rumors say Drury on the block
Austin Barnes - Has 2B/C eligibility which is crazy, versatility worth a late flier unless he's a starter then bump up

If you need to get crazy with prospects, these two jump off the page. Bump them up in dynasty leagues with Albies, Moncada and Happ. These two are the type I'll save an active roster spot for a buck in keeper leagues. Torres more hyped but Kingery should be around for a buck or so..

Gleyber Torres - Has opportunity to break camp with team but will cost you in draft value
Scott Kingery - Hit 26HR in AAA, 20+SB guy, only 23 - stock is rising, better value than Torres

This group is, well, its a group. In their heyday.... I mean, they were good, might still be, but we don't really know. And they all offer something with 400+ AB besides age :) but I'm not in the mood to rank them because they'll likely just sit on your bench ...

Jose Reyes
Neil Walker
Brandon Phillips
Ben Zobrist
Dustin Pedroia
Joe Panik
Cory Spangenburg
Jed Lowrie
Asdrubal Cabrera

The Fantasy Man's 2018 Fantasy Baseball 1B First Base Rankings

2018-02-09T10:59:00.004-05:00

The Fantasy Man's 2018 Fantasy Baseball 1B First Basemen Rankings

Wow, so much deep. There's nothing new or fancy you're going to learn with this group. It's deep, so you don't have to stress about missing out on any of the top 5. I find myself gravitating towards Jose Abreu if he drops into 4th but I don't hesitate to pass as I'll scoop Eric Hosmer in the late 5th, 6th or possibly later.

Usually in these early mid rounds (5-9), everyone starting to pivot to pitching, grab a top catcher, maybe a closer run starts, reliable SB's are pretty much gone, etc. Thats why the unsexy picks like Hosmer, Miggy, Will Myers, and Joey Gallo may fall in some drafts. They all have a flaw of some kind but it's just fear in my opinion. Outside of Miggy, you have 3 fairly young players here you can lean on for 4+ categories while you build your star power at other positions.

Paul Goldschmidt - Top 1B, beyond elite, could pick as high as #3 or spend upwards of $50+
Freddie Freeman - Lefties in ATL is a thing and I believe he's worth of a late 1st round
Joey Votto - ADP like Votto late 1st, Freeman early 2nd so you can go either way
Anthony Rizzo - I bump him to 4th simply because Freeman/Votto better home parks
Cody Bellinger - Mucho hype, he's legit, will put up a big year, but not sure the value is there
Jose Abreu - Near elite, hitter park, slightly better lineup and potentially obtainable in the 4th rd
Will Myers - He's a 20SB guy! What else you need? 27 prime, 30hr+ power, upside depends on team
Eric Hosmer - 5 cat 1B and consistently falls to the 5th/6th rd maybe further
Edwin Encarnacion - Usual power, sweet lineup, BUT he's 35 and only 3 cats
Rhys Hoskins - Upside is great, hype is greater, but value is gone - same boat as Bellinger
Matt Olsen - Bellinger/Hoskins boat w/ slightly less hype and likely cheaper, mega power, meh BA
Miguel Cabrera - Risky but I like the chances of a bounce back, if he's healthy will be a value
Buster Posey - Dual eligibility play here but power is a question mark, otherwise I'd bump up a few

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If I whiff on the above, then I'm looking down in this next group. There's so many options that you shouldn't feel the need to overpay. 1B is filled with value goodness this year. Gallo will crush your BA but you can plan for that while you take advantage of his power, SB's and dual eligibility for example. Why pay for the hype of Rhys Hoskins who hasn't even played a full year yet when you have proven options you can get below for cheaper? Why over pay for Hoskins when you can get a proven Carlos Santana who makes better contact and will get you an OBP above .360 for much cheaper? Just a thought. I know everyone loves their prospects :)

Joey Gallo - BA crusher but you can plan for it and take advantage of power/speed
Carlos Santana - Moves to a hitters park, contact/OBP guy, I like the upside at 31
Nelson Cruz - DH only but you know what you're getting
Matt Carpenter - Some injury concern but the dual eligibility and the fact he's lofting the ball is nice
Justin Smoak - He's huge into the launch angles, barrels and all that - I like a repeat here for less
Greg Bird - I'm a yankee homer and this guy healthy and left in Yankee Stadium is gold
Justin Bour - Fear is Bour has no team around him, let him drop and scoop late for .280/30/90
Eric Thames - Classic hot start, crap middle, hot SEP 2017 - Fine late pick with dual eligibility
Ryan Zimmerman - Another launch angle guy so I like the power consistency here
Logan Morrison - Another launch angle guy with exceptional OBP skills

Next group here is just full of questions marks. I like these guys in my DH spot or utilize them at other positions if they have dual eligibility. They all have some kind of upside but come with risk, so lets look at both. Really like some kind of sneaky bounce backs from Chris Davis and the power, Ian Desmond back to 20/20, and Ryan Healy who was all the rage this time last year. You could sit back all draft and just wait for this group on the cheap to fill your 1B, CI and DH/U and feel totally fantastic about it.

Marwin Gonzalez - 5x eligibility, opportunity but was 23HR/90RBI real?
Trey Mancini - Nice upside here, fantasy experts breezing over this guy, sleeper alert for more HR
Ryan Healy - Cheap dual eligibility, last year was solid - traded to SEA, there's forgotten upside here
Chris Davis - He's only 31, everyone down on this guy, still has power in a hitters park, sooo cheap!!
Ian Desmond - The fear is last years injury history and ground ball rate, another late target for me
Hanley Ramirez - I love a bounce back here
Josh Bell - Only 25 with upside but BA potential looking weak with no SB
Brandon Belt - Hurt last year, only 29 prime, there's a surprise here if healthy
Ryan McMahon - My vote for ticket on Bellinger/Hoskins/Olson boat with no hype and 4 cat upside

Best of the rest here....

Mitch Moreland - Serviceable cheaper Brandon Belt
Mark Reynolds - Usually has a nice run at some point in season
Yuli Gurriel - Hits in the clutch, seems to get RBI's in bunches
Albert Pujols - Skills are diminishing but still maybe good for 25HR
Yonder Alonso - I don't know man, was the surge real? I'm not paying to find out w/ options above
Jose Martinez - Not a ton of power here
Adrian Gonzalez - Total crapshoot but might just hold spot for Dominic Smith
Matt Adams - Left power but likely a platoon
Joe Mauer - Stop it. Had that one good year
Dominic Smith - Has offensive upside but I think his defense is atrocious
CJ Cron - Power Al Only guy
Brad Miller - If healthy has some pop, launch angle guy
Chase Headley - Clubhouse guy, not sure how to score that in fantasy
Adam Lind - Is he still playing?
Brandon Moss - If you're drafting Moss you're doing something wrong

The Fantasy Man's 2018 Fantasy Baseball Catchers Rankings

2018-02-08T11:44:00.000-05:00

The Fantasy Man's 2018 Fantasy Baseball Catchers Rankings

I wouldn't quite call this first group a tier but more so a group of catchers I'd simply draft, at minimum, as my first catcher in a 2-C league. This position is mega weak and diamonds in the rough are tough to come by here. You can make a case to get two of these guys and call it a day. That's how bad this position is.

One idea I love is to plan to grab Gary Sanchez early and then scoop up Salvador Perez mid draft (10th rd) as he seems like a less sexy pick in the earlier rounds.

Gary Sanchez - No question #1 and worthy of a late 2nd / early 3rd round mixed league pick
Wilson Contrereas - 21HR & 74RBI in 377AB in 2017, only 25, could get 1B/OF eligibility
Buster Posey - Fairly safe .300+avg with HR upside over 2017's 18HR
Salvador Perez - Safe 25HR/75RBI/.265 FLOOR and ONLY 27 - Best C value on board
JT Realmuto - Only 26 but no offense around him, take advantage of the FUD and get a discount
Wellington Castillo - 20HR/53RBI in 341 in 2016, better situation in CWS, upside here w/ 400+ AB
Brian McCann - Still only 33, injuries derailed him last year, potent lineup, I see an uptick
Yadier Molina - Listen, he's 35, he's a pro hitter, solid, steals bases and he's super cheap.
Mike Zunino - Power is there, contact better, whiffs a lot - he's my cheap sleeper, I'll deal with BA

Get yourself a Dirty Baseball Sign (WHAT??) at Kraftman's Ship. Tell your wife you need one in the dining room!

In any fantasy baseball snake draft or auction, I have to have at least one of these guys. I find myself gravitating towards Sal Perez as he's just so reliable, he's fairly durable, and he's only 27. We know catchers develop as better hitters later in their career and Perez seems like he's been around forever and I simply like that combination. He also slips down the draft a bit and you can grab him usually in or after the 10th round. That's a nice value considering he's a top 4 catcher and he's super reliable. Yadier Molina is another one that will slip later in drafts but provide solid and safe production in every category. If I whiff on Sanchez/Posey/Contreras, I'm looking to pair Perez with Molina as my top pairing option for value.

This next tier are players I feel have some upside or something special about them assuming 400+ AB of full health but there's also too many question marks. These are also likely your ideal second catcher options..

Austin Barnes - Looks legit but depends on Yasmani Grandal, bump up if traded
Wilson Ramos - Could be a .270/20HR/70RBI type season if stays healthy and gets 400+ AB
Matt Wieters - Maybe there's a potential Joe Mauer/JD Drew type season? Talent is there
Austin Hedges - Legit power, .300+BA in minors, I like the upside and opportunity for under $5
Travis d'Arnaud - My favorite sleeper to surprise, only 28, and cost low, definite end game target
Evan Gattis - 25-30 HR is there with 400+ AB as a DH and back up catcher
James McCann - 1st full season upcoming could be a solid .260/20/60
Tucker Barnhart - 4 year deal and primary backstop means opportunity, could do worse for $1-$3

After that, your guess is as good as mine. Pick your poison. Want to invest in upside youth? You have...

Francisco Mejia - Major league ready, could play 3B potentially, $1 stash since he's blocked
Chance Sisco - Showing as the starter, light on power currently, and Caleb Joseph in the way
Jorge Alfaro - Legit power, maybe low contact, good defense, rocket arm if he breaks camp
Danny Jansen - Darkhorse prospect sleeper, awesome plate discipline, could be up this year

What about your platoon guys...

Alex Avila - Experienced a small power surge in 1st half last season, was it real?
Cameron Rupp - Stock is down, Alfaro/Knapp hype, could be sneaky deep sleeper
Caleb Joseph - Same situation as Rupp
Yasmani Grandal - Tough one, depends on Austin Barnes spring training
Manny Pina - Has BA upside but 2 other serviceable catchers on roster
Kevin Plawecki - Has upside but I see him as only a handcuff to d'Arnaud if he doesn't take step
Devin Mesoraco - If healthy and Barnhart gets hurt he could be a nice cheap stash
Tom Murphy - Nice power upside and low on radar. Ianetta just a stop-gap
Yan Gomes - Has comeback power potential written all over, more of a stash for me
Bruce Maxwell - There's power upside here, some youth, but still a platoon for now - cheap stash

When you just need to fill a roster spot in an AL or NL only league...

Francisco Cervelli - Dude makes contact, could provide decent BA in a full season
Russell Martin - Maybe if healthy you can bump him up, best hitter of this group
Robinson Chirinos - Has some power upside in a hitters park
Chris Ianetta - Maybe you can bump him up in COL, 20HR+ power but still 'meh'
Martin Maldonado - Full timer but light bat
Christian Vazquez - Full timer, light bat but steals a few bases
Roberto Perez - Light bat here, does have some clutch hitting ability which could lead to upside
Tyler Flowers - Has little spurts here and there
Jason Castro - I don't see any type of breakout outside of what we've seen recently

NL King - NL Sellers

2013-07-30T09:47:00.000-04:00

With the non waiver trade deadline tomorrow the 31st at 4PM Eastern Standard time let's look at the NL sellers in MLB as it can effect a lot of NL only leagues.

Colorado - Cuddyer & De la Rosa
They have not called themselves sellers but are 5 games under 500 and 8 games behind in the loss column on the 1st place Dodgers & 2nd wild card team in the Reds. If someone offers something special for De la Rosa (free agent after the season) or Cuddyer (1 year left on his contract after this year) the Rocks I believe will heavily consider it.

Cubs - DeJesus, Schierholtz & Gregg.
Gregg is definitely moved for the best prospect Theo Epstein can get. Seems like the Cubs want to trade Schierholtz why I don't know as he is having a really good year and Cubs hardly have any outfielders and Schierholtz is not expensive. Maybe the Cubs going to make a big splash in free agency with a guy like Ellsbury or Choo. DeJesus if not moved by the deadline could still get moved in August.

Miami - Pierre, Ruggiano & Cishek.
For whatever reason the Marlins who are awful team and should cash in on Cishek say they will hold on to him unless they are blown away. I didn't realize Cishek was the next Mariano Rivera. Pierre is a goner if anyone wants him & with young OF's the Marlins have if they can get anything for Ruggiano he is a goner too.

Milwaukee - Aoki, A.Ramirez, Gallardo, Lohse, Axford.
Aoki & Lohse only gets moved for a huge package, Aramis Ramirez still a bit ways away from getting back on the field. So if he gets moved it will be in August and he would easily clear waivers with his dollars owed next season. Seems like a lot teams cooled off on Gallardo as his stuff is way down this year. Axford is a goner.

NY Mets - Buck, Byrd & Parnell.
Mets want to finish the season strong so will only trade Byrd & Buck if they get a prospect they really like. Also Mets would only think of trading Parnell if they can get a big package.

Philadelphia - M.Young, Rollins, C.Lee & Papelbon
Young is a goner and would be great fit for many AL teams. Rollins is a long shot for many reasons and have to get his approval as he is a 10-5 man, Cliff Lee given the dollars owed to him going forward I can only see the Dodgers or Red Sox. Papelbon does not seem to have a lot of interest given his contract, if Tigers are not interested I am not sure who is.

San Diego - Quentin, Denorfia, Volquez, Street & Gregerson
This team has to get a lot better before they can think about contending.

San Francisco - Pence & Lincecum
Pence is a goner if they can get a really good package & Lincecum might just be time to move on

Clock is ticking. Follow me on Twitter @ TheNLKing

NL King - CJ Lizza

NL King - Will the W.Sox Help NL Only Leagues?

2013-07-26T09:18:00.001-04:00

With the MLB non waiver trade deadline coming this Wednesday July 31st it appears the only team in the AL that can help NL only leagues is the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox have a trio of players dangling on the trade market. Let's look at them.

Jake Peavy: 8W, 4.28 ERA, 1.14 Ratio, 76K in 80IP
Having a good season although has been injured during the course of this season. Very capable of being a front line starter in fantasy baseball especially in the NL IF he can stay healthy. Word is the Braves, Cardinals & Dodgers are in the mix for a trade for Peavy. Peavy salary for this year & next (14.5 Mil) can be a stumbling block in a trade with any team given his injury history.

Alex Rios: 12HR, 49RBI, 51R, 21SB, .276 Avg
Having a very good season although after an excellent 2012 season. Can bring power & speed to an NL only lineup. There are not a lot of those guys around. Word is the Pirates are in the mix and I would think the Giants as well. Rios is signed through next season.

Alexei Ramirez: 1HR, 26RBI, 42R, 21SB, .283 Avg
Use to be a guy who would hit in the mid to upper teens in HR's but his power swing has gone away. Still can really help a NL only fantasy team in Runs & Stolen Bases. The Pirates & Cardinals are in the mix. Ramirez is signed through the 2015 season.

Will the W.Sox help NL only fantasy leagues? Stay tuned.

Follow me on Twitter @ TheNLKing

NL King - C.Lizza

NL King - Marlins OF Prospects Up & Prospects from Garza Trade

2013-07-23T08:26:00.000-04:00

Marlins: Christian Yelich & Jake Marisnickcalled up.

Two of the Marlins top prospects, both outfielders, are getting the call today. I am sure they will see everyday AB's for the immediate future and if they do well for the rest of the season.

Yelich (21) back in Spring Training was the Marlins 2nd best prospect (Jose Fernandez was #1) and the 15th best prospect in all of MLB according to Baseball America. Yelich has played in 3 levels this season at Rookie Ball, High A and most recently AA. Yelich in 61 games at the 3 levels had 236 AB's, 9HR, 33RBI, 38R, 5SB, .275 AVG, .359 OBP. Yelich had 13 doubles & 7 Triples. He projects to be core bat for the Marlins and has a chance to be a star player both in real life & in fantasy.

Marisnick (22) back in Spring Training was the Marlins 4th best prospect and the 70th best prospect in all of MLB according to Baseball America. Marisnick has played at 2 levels this season in high A & AA. Marisnick in 70 games at the two levels this season had 280 AB's, 12HR, 46RBI, 45R, 11SB, .289 AVG, .350 OBP. Marisnick had 14 doubles & 3 triples. Another exciting young player for the Marlins, probably won't be as good as Yelich but extremely talented in his own right.

The Marlins want to see if these two extremely talented kids are ready for the majors now. If they are they will be occupying 2/3 of their outfield for years to come including opening day next season. If these two kids show they are ready I think it really opens the door for a Stanton trade come this off-season at the winter meetings. It's perfect storm to trade Stanton for the Marlins this off-season. It's a weak free agent class so many teams are going to look at trades to improve their team. Stanton is under team control for 3 more seasons after this year and will just be 24 in November. Stanton is also arbtration eligible for the first time this off-season a fact I am sure the Marlins are very aware of. Stanton has so much talent that the Marlins would get a huge package for him and this winter (with almost every MLB team bidding) & will be the optimunal time to trade Stanton.

Cubs: Garza Trade

In terms of the Matt Garza trade to the Texas Rangers the Cubs got back 3 youngsters in Mike Olt (3B), CJ Edwards (SP) & Justin Grimm (SP). Olt has had a rough season this year in AAA has he has experienced vision problems. Obviously the Cubs must feel he is passed those problems. Olt is only hitting .219 in AAA but he does have pop (12 HR's & 17 Doubles) and he does walk (OBP .318). However Olt does have 95 K's in his 242 AB's this year in AAA. Keep in mind Olt did have a big season last year in AA so maybe his bout with vision issues is the result of his poor average & high K's. So if Olt is passed that the Cubs could have at least got a very good power hitter. Olt will be 25 at the end of August so while the Cubs are assigning him to AAA Iowa I do believe sometime soon Olt will get called up and finish the last 6 to 8 weeks at Wrigley. In terms of long term future with the Cubs if Olt is a player it will probably be in the outfield because remember the Cubs 1st round draft pick, 2nd overall Kris Bryant is a 3B. Also in the deal the Cubs received starter pitchers Justin Grimm & CJ Edwards. Grimm is being sent to AAA Iowa as well and projects as back of the rotation starter at best. Edwards is a big key to this deal while he is only 21 and in high A he is already one of the Cubs top pitching prospects if not their best pitching prospect. Cubs have kids in the system but they are all really position players.

Follow me on Twitter @ TheNLKing and pass the word.

NL King - C.Lizza

NL King - Red Sox Misnomer, Harvey 200 Mil & Boras, Garza, LAD 4OF's & A.Ramirez

2013-07-22T08:53:00.000-04:00

Okay we have five topics to get today so let's do it.

Boston Red Sox Misnomer:
So after 100 games the Red Sox are in 1st place with a 60-40 record (.600 winning percentage) and in 1st place in the NL East with the best record in the American League and 2nd best record in baseball. Over the all-star break I heard many baseball interviews including one with NY Mets GM Sandy Alderson & one with NY Mets owner Jeff Wilpon talking about what the Red Sox did in terms of these shorter term deals in free agency and look where they are now. This couldn't;t be farther from the truth. First off while they didn't give 7 year deals to these players in particular Victorino, Napoli & Dempster they did give them aggressive contracts given their age, with the exception to Napoli whose medical reports were just awful. Ironically it's only Napoli who is having a good year (83G, 13HR, 62RBI, 50R, .258Avg). Victorino has missed a 1/3 of the season and his stats are 4HR, 26RBI, 39R, 13SB, .290 Avg. Ryan Dempster has given the Red Sox innings (115+) but is 5-8 with a 4.28 ERA. The Red Sox are in 1st place because of the core players they already had going into the season plus the young players they had in the system. I am talking about Pedroia, Nava, Ellsbury, Ortiz, Lester, Buchholz, Doubront and the re-emergence of John Lackey. Have their free agents contributed yes but if teams such as the NY Mets indicated that these kind of deals on 33-37 year olds are the way to go because look at the Red Sox record they are in for a bad surprise.

Matt Harvey & Scott Boras:
In a recent article that Matt Harvey did in Men's journal he floated the notion of a 200 Million Dollar contract. Looks like the young star has some very high hopes of his future earnings. Many of the Met fans might think and wisely lets get Harvey locked up long term now before his arbitration kicks in. Keep in mind what his super agent Scott Boras recently said when asked about this by Joel Sherman of the NY Post: "When the team wants to go into these situations and what the true value of the player is are not often that close." Harvey is not eligible for arbitration until after the 2015 season.

Matt Garza is Still a Cub:
Guess what it's Monday the day of Matt Garza next start and he is still a Cub. As much as the Cubs want to move Garza as soon as possible they are not going to do so until they get the package they want. Keep in mind they have until July 31st to trade him and it appears that as many as 10 teams are involved. The Cubs just need one of those teams to blink. I be careful on any trade discussions anyone says they know what's going on. On Friday night it was reported a deal between the Cubs & Rangers was 99% done and both sides were looking at medical records. Then it came out the Cubs were not getting their package. Garza will be traded and soon but someone will have to step up with a strong offer.

Dodgers 4 OF's:
Now that Matt Kemp is back (although hurt his ankle in the 9th inning in yesterdays game, for now considered day to day, ankle injuries are tricky) how is Dodger Manager Don Mattingly going to play his 4 OF's in Puig, Kemp, Crawford & Ethier. Mattingly is in a pennant chase and has to play his best players. That means Puig & Kemp play every day. Then it's between Crawford & Ethier for the last spot but I think Crawford at the top of the lineup is very important to the Dodgers. But even if Ethier is the odd man out he should get at least 4 starts a week. Lets face it Crawford has had a lot of injuries and probably be a smart move giving him a couple of days off a week where Ethier could start in his place. Also by giving Kemp & Puig one day off a week you keep them fresh and give Ethier playing time. This will be a situation that will have to be resolved in the off-season and that won't be easy given Ethier's escalated contract over the next 4 years.

Aramis Ramirez on the Trading Block?
Been hearing reports with Aramis Ramirez coming back early this week that the Brewers are going to shop him and they are a lot of interested parties. All that could very well be true and if you can get a team like the Dodgers involved where they do not care about payroll they may not be a problem. But keep in mind that Aramis Ramirez who has had an injury riddled year is 35 and has 1 more guaranteed year left on his contract where he will make 16 Million Dollars next year with a team option for 2015 that includes a 4 Million Dollar buyout. So Ramirez is guaranteed 20 Million dollars on his contract after this season. That could be a major stumbling block.

Follow me on Twitter @ TheNLKing and pass the word.

NL King - C.Lizza

NL King - Breaking Down NL Races & Possible Deals for NL Buyers

2013-07-17T12:35:00.003-04:00

Well the all-star game was last night and while I am not a big all-star game guy what a great moment for Mariano Rivera. Very well deserved. I am going to break down the teams in contention still for a division title or one of the wild card spots. I also going to tell you what area's these teams are looking to improve before the trade deadline.

NL East:
Atlanta:
The good news is at the break the Braves have a 6 game lead in the loss column over the 2nd place Nationals & 7 over the 3rd place Phillies. Bad news is I would be very concerned with the Braves lineup and all these injuries in the outfield. I think the Braves pitching is fine but I think getting a veteran OF who is a solid bat would be a very prudent move. If David DeJesus gets healthy I think he would be a good fit and shouldn't cost much.

Nationals:
What has killed the Nationals all year is injuries, inconsistent play and production from their 4th & 5th starters. Dan Haren has been bad & Detwiller has been dealing with a back issue. The Nats had huge expectations this season and because of that don't be surprised if they make a big move such as landing Matt Garza. Maybe a trade of Detwiller & a prospect gets Garza.

Phillies:
The Phils are kind of in no man's land. Not in a good position to buy or sell. At this point I think the Phils have to hope they can get enough production out of the bats they have & their pitching gets hot. I think they stand pat.

NL Central:

St.Louis:
The Cardinals are just 1 game ahead of the Pirates & the Reds are lurking being just 5 games back. If the season were to end today the Cardinals, Pirates & Reds would all make the playoffs. The Cardinals have concerns at shortstop & come the big games can they rely on Mujica? But honestly I think they stand pat in those regards unless something falls in their lap. To me the Cardinals need another starting pitcher. The Cards have been struggling with their 5th starter all year & Lance Lynn is wearing down again as he did last year. To me the Cardinals who have a deep farm system should go get Matt Garza. They land Garza to go with their top starters not only does that make them a huge favorite to win the division but also a great bet to go to the World Series.

Pirates:
The Pirates are deep in pitching but they need another bat. Just a solid bat be it a shortstop or an outfielder. Pirates have a chance to make this season a very special one. Been a long time for Pirates fans and their organization and they need to be aggressive.

Reds:
To me the Reds can stand pat as long as they are going to get Cueto, Broxton & Marshall back sooner rather than later. If not then the Reds might want to look to land another bullpen arm. Tony Cingrani who has been pitching great is giving them plenty of coverage in the rotation.

NL West:

Arizona:
In 1st place but barely over .500. Have a 2 1/2 game lead over LA, 4 1/2 over Colorado & 6 1/2 over the Giants. I think the Padres are cooked they are not a good team. Provided the D-Backs can figure out their bullpen they have another depth in their lineup they need a strong starting pitcher such as guess who Matt Garza. Cahill & McCarthy are currently injured and have been ineffective this year. Ian Kennedy has been a huge disappointment & Wade Miley has been okay but not like the all-star he was last year. Landing Garza to me is the difference of the D-Backs winning the division or coming up short.

Dodgers:
They are finally over .500 and should get Matt Kemp back this weekend. They recently landed Nolasco from the Marlins to get them quality at the back end of the rotation. The Dodger organization is a team desperate to win their division and obviously money is no object. So I can them being aggressive if it's another bat at Third Base or a relief pitcher or even another starting pitcher.

Rockies:
Rockies to me are a team under .500 and building. The next 2 weeks we decide if they are a seller. Even if they are in contention for the division the buys they might make would be small. They are looking for starting pitching.

Giants:
The World Champs should feel lucky that they are in the NL West. The Giants really are not in a position to sell and given the division they are in they should try and make a run in the 2nd half. They need an outfield bat badly.

Follow me on Twitter @ TheNLKing. Please pass the word around of TheNLKing to your twitter followers.

NL King - C.Lizza

NL King - Trade Talks Need to Keep it Friendly

2013-07-15T08:11:00.001-04:00

Just like in real Major League Baseball where you have buyers and sellers all across the globe in fantasy baseball keeper leagues you have buyers and sellers as well. As trade talks go on in fantasy baseball between buyers and sellers I sell a lot of mistakes being made by fantasy owners in trade talks.

Batter Up Remember the Team Selling is a Frustrated Owner:
For those of you in the hunt in your leagues obviously at this point and time you have had a ta least a good year. But for the team selling they have had a rough year and one full of frustration. You have to know your audience. Look as the selling team I am not saying to be a snake oil salesman or anything like that but realize the team that your trying to make a rebuilding trade is very frustrated. Alienating them by telling them what a bad job they did be it in the draft, a trade during during the year or recent rebuilding trade is not going to help you make a trade with that owner. Odds are it will kill trade talks.

Up Second Always Keep it Friendly:
Like I said in my article the art of the trade you always want to keep your trade talks friendly & cordial. This can only help get a deal done. It's hard enough making deals on finding common ground when everyone is rolling up their selves in talking trade in a friendly manner. Creating a hostile environment makes making a deal almost impossible.

In the 3-Hole You Can't Make a Met Fan into a Yankee Fan:
What I mean by this if you are offering a player which you really like and you think has really good value but your counterpart does not well then you need to find other players to make a deal happen. If the other owner is on the fence about a player with some concerns or has one major concern about the player then you could again in a friendly manner illustrate some key facts or stats that will help them see the value of this player. Good outside information on this player from a solid reliable source on the web can help and sending that info to the other owner can really help get a deal done. But just don't send them the Iliad in terms of information. But if the team you are trying to make a trade with does not like this player you are offering at all then do not try to convince them they should like this player. Everyone has many opinions about players in fantasy baseball and if your dealing with an owner who really does not like a player nothing you can say is going to change from dislike to like. Being on the fence or worried about a key point is different from total dislike.

In the Cleanup Hole a Team that is Flexible gets a Deal Done
Any kind of deal be it off-season, two teams in contention or a rebuilding deal, teams that are the most flexible get deals done.

In the 5th Spot You are not Phil Hellmuth:
What I mean by this is too often I hear stories regarding trade talks when owners carry on like this is the world series of poker and I am going to get this other owner and win this deal. If your in a competitive league with smart owners those kind of deals are not going to happen. Trying to emulate Phil Hellmuth at the table of world series of poker in your trade talks is about the worst thing one can do. Playing poker is different from playing fantasy baseball.

Finally Attitude is Everything
This kind of illustrates my point above but really you want to have reflected very positive attitude in your trade talks. If someone is being a bit ridiculous with their offers you can tell them that in a friendly manner and by not saying your being ridiculous. Both sides are trying to sell each other in this rebuilding deal that this deal is going to help each other immensely. Have to have a positive attitude. Can you imagine going into a store and looking to buy an expensive item and the salesman has a bad attitude or critics you on your knowledge in not so friendly way. Would you buy that expensive item from that salesman?

Follow me on Twitter @ TheNLKing and pass the word about the NL King to your twitter followers. Much appreciated.

NL King - C.Lizza

NL King - Window to Win a Fantasy Championship

2013-07-12T08:06:00.001-04:00

Today's article applies to any league one is in be it mixed, NL or AL only. We are hitting that point of the season where we should know in most leagues who are the contenders and which teams are looking towards next season. This article is speaking with the contenders who have a legitimate shot to win their fantasy leagues. I am going to illustrate a few points of why a team should go for the brass ring if your in this position.

- In most competitive leagues a really good owner most likely will only get a chance to win his or hers league every 3 or 4 seasons. I myself have not won my league since 2008 (I have been constantly reminded of this by one particular friend in my league). I feel like each season since then I have done a really good job including this one (and I find myself in last place this year as of today). But other than 1 year since 2008 there was only 1 season where I had a shot to win my league and that faded by mid to late August (finished 2nd that year). So my point being is one only gets a legitimate window to win one's league every so often. When that opportunity arises you have to be smart but aggressive in being a buyer and trading future pieces in trying to win your league.

- There are no guarantees with your future cheap pieces or what next year will hold for your team. One might say " I have these players at such good deals how can I trade them? They are going to be so good for next season at a great price." Is that true and how good are they going to be for next season? But lets say for the sake of argument they will be that good for next season but what if a number of your other pieces that you get wind up failing you. Again Matt Kemp will cost a ton of fantasy owners a championship this season unless he comes off the DL and has a ridiculous August & September. I am sure there are so many owners out there saying if Matt Kemp were to just have given me 3/4 of his projected numbers I would have won my league. It takes a lot of things to come together to win one's league, you have to remember that. So having 3 or 4 or 5 pieces at really good contracts does not guarantee being in contention for a championship next season or even challenging for a money spot. Someone in my keeper league last year had Ryan Braun on the last year of his contract at $11 and he winded up rebuilding.

- In regards to your pieces that you have at really good contracts, ask yourself this what value do they have to be at next season for it to really sting for next year? Also what are the probabilities that such player will be worth that value? So if you have a really good young starting pitcher at $7 at what price would be oh my God I can't believe I traded him last year? To me that player would have to be worth at least $20 for it to really sting. Then if you conclude that it's lets say 50/50 such player reaches that value are you 100% selling the farm for next year? I think this is a good exercise in evaluating talent and value with probabilities what one is giving up for next season.

- If the right deal is on the table then you must go for it. Now very rarely does the perfect deal come along. I am not saying one has to settle if your buyer but if as a buyer you wait for the absolute perfect deal well good chance you will not be adding to your team. However if a smart deal that gives you a strong chance to put you over the top presents itself then you have to go for it.

- The right deal should be based on the categories where you can move up the most and the players you are acquiring are going to on paper make a big impact in these categories. Do not get caught up in acquiring a sexy name. The goal is to acquire key stats to put you over the top.

- Just like I said above there are no guarantees about your keepers or your team for next season, there is also no guarantees that by making a really smart deal in going for it will win you your league. Slumps happen, injuries happen etc etc. In 2008 the last time I won my league I made a couple of big deals where I traded away a number of great keepers and that was the difference in me winning my league. However in 2011 when I finished in 2nd place I gave up Andrew McCutchen who was signed for one more season the 2012 season at $11 in efforts to win my league and I did not even challenge the first place team in September. In both years I feel I made smart trades that impacted the key categories, one time it was a difference maker and one time it wasn't. Although that season by trading McCutchen to improve my team for the stretch run it was the difference between me finishing in 2nd place as opposed to 3rd place.

So all owners who have a chance for the "Precious" I am here to tell you go and try to find that smart deal to put you over the top.

Follow me on Twitter @ TheNLKing

NL King

NL King - What in the Wide World of Sports Has Happened to these NL Hitters?

2013-07-10T08:31:00.001-04:00

Today I am going to list a number of hitters in the NL who this seasons have been colossal disappointments. It's very hard to explain how someone so good can have such a poor season sometimes. Let's break it down, this list is in alphabetical order.

Starlin Castro - CHC - 5HR, 27RBI, 41R, 7SB, .234 Avg
What happened to this guy? Going into last August it looked like Castro was on the cusp of being a star. But finished last season poorly and this year has been a disaster. Castro's K's are ridiculous. Obviously the league has adjusted to Castro but where are Castro's adjustments? Castro had some off the field off-season issues during the off-season so is his attention focused on reaching his potential? Castro is only 23 so I am not writing him off yet but this year has been a huge disappointment and I am sure Theo Epstein & the boys upstairs are very frustrated and can't make heads or tails of it.

Ike Davis - NYM - 5HR, 18RBI, 19R, 2SB, .171 Avg
Last season you could explain Ike Davis horrible 1st half, Davis had missed most of the prior season and was dealing with some form of valley fever. So this year heading into 2013 after a strong 2nd half last year all signs pointed to Davis being a strong power bat. It has not happened. David just did about a 3 week stint in AAA to work on his swing and get his confidence back. I am sure Davis owners I hoping for a repeat in the 2nd half like last year. That is possible because power hitters can go on streaks but at this point if I was a Davis owner I would be happy with just solid production from him the rest of the way.

Danny Espinosa - Wsh - 3HR, 12RBI, 11R, 1SB, .158 Avg
Horrible horrible start to the season and then had to rest his injured wrist and now is working on his swing in the minors to try and find it and still hasn't. Granted Espinosa has never been a high average guy but qualified at both 2B & SS going into the season and was basically a 20 / 20 man last 2 years with some improvement to his average. However maybe that rotater cuff injury from the end of last year is still bothering him. Now looks like his days in Washington are done with Anthony Rendon taking over 2B.

Andre Ethier - LAD - 5HR, 27RBI, 28R, 3SB, .272 Avg
It's been very simply for Ethier in his career, when he has been healthy he has been a really good power & RBI man with an average between .285 - .290. Well Ethier has been healthy this year but his production has been poor.

David Freese - STL - 5HR, 29RBI, 29R, 1SB, .278 Avg
I have always liked Freese's bat key with him is staying healthy. Has has his share of ailments this year as always but when he has played his power production especially is way down.

Corey Hart - Mil - Been injured all year & is now out for the season.
Hart's knee surgery back in the Spring was suppose to mean a late April return. That time table then became mid May then sometime in June and then out for the season. Players coming back from injuries very easily can have setbacks we see it all the time. However I am sure on draft day many owners felt hey come early May I get Hart back and get a really good power bat for 5/6 of the season. That has not worked out.

Chase Headley - SD - 7HR, 29RBI, 31R, 5SB, .227Avg
The good news is Headley was back with the Padres 3 weeks into season instead of early May due to a late Spring Training thumb injury. Now did we think that Headley would repeat his monster year last year? Probably not but there is no way Headley should be hitting .227. Keep in mind Headley last year produced both at home and on the road & this year the Padres moved in the fences. Maybe Headley is swinging too much for the fences? Keep in mind in Headley's monster year last year he was good in the 1st half and was great in the 2nd half.

Jason Heyward - Atl - 7HR, 21RBI, 35R, 2SB, .229 Avg
After last year it looked like Jason Heyward was ready to become a NL fantasy star. But a ridiculously poor April and then an injury missing about a month set his season way behind. Heyward only 23 I am still a believer, I think at least a solid 2nd half is going to happen.

Matt Kemp - LAD - 4HR, 24RBI, 29R, 9SB, .254 Avg
Kemp seasons has been one of slumps and injuries. Where has the Matt Kemp of 2011 gone? Last year you could explain Kemp reduction in production because he missed 56 games & had hamstring issues so his steals were way down. This season Kemp has been awful from the get go. His team is in a pennant race so just maybe when he comes off the DL later this month he can have a strong August & September. But again a lot of that could hinge on how his body is feeling. There are many fantasy owners out there from Hong Kong to Topeka who are going to come up a little bit short of winning their leagues because of Matt Kemp's season.

Jason Kubel - Arz - 4HR, 25RBI, 17R, 0SB, .251 Avg
What happened to the 30HR guy in 141 games last year? D-Backs have quite a few outfielders especially with Adam Eaton now back. Kubel could find himself mostly in a platoon position the rest of the season. Keep in mind D-Backs not married to Kubel as next year is a team option with only a 1 million dollar buyout.

Cameron Maybin - SD - 1HR, 5RBI, 7R, 4SB, .157 Avg
I put Maybin on this list simply because all of us NL only roto players have been waiting forever for his breakout year. Even though he is just 26 I don;t think it's ever coming. Hard to believe once upon a time he was the key player in a trade where the Tigers got Miguel Cabrera.

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NL King - C.Lizza

NL King - Who Will Be Moved in the NL?

2013-07-09T07:00:00.000-04:00

I know it's been since last Tuesday morning since my last baseball article. For you hockey fans I am also writing for ProHockeyRumors.com so check me out over there as well. Now to the baseball.

When will look at the NL landscape of buyers and sellers there is questions of who will be moved or not.

100% Sellers:
Cubs - They are at the fore front as they have probably one of the best trading chips in all of MLB in Matt Garza. Garza is showing when healthy he is a front line starter with his recent outings and that his injuries are behind him now finally. The Cubs have a lot of options with Garza one of which is trying to sign him to a long term deal, which appraently discussions are ongoing in that vain. Remember Garza is only 29 and the Cubs and their ownership want a winner so unless they get a huge package for Garza maybe they sign him to a long term extension? The Cubs also can offer Garza a qualifying offer in the off-season assuring themselves of getting high draft pick compensation if they don't trade him. I think Theo and the boys are looking at all of their options but I am sure they are letting it be known to teams you want Matt Garza it's going to take a really good package of young players / prospects. Garza is in play but it's an expensive one. The Cubs would move Alfonso Soriano to an AL team in a heartbeat but would have to eat significant dollars to do it and get very little back. Depending upon when David DeJesus comes back this summer I can also see the Cubs listening to offers on him as well although the Cubs do have a team option on him for next season.

Marlins - After trading Nolasco I think where the Marlins are at in terms of trading any other pieces is to see if they can get some team to send them a good prospect or young player who needs a good bullpen arm such as Steve Cishek (Tigers ?). Also team that could use another player for their outfield might be interested in Juan Pierre. Pierre could be a good 4th outfielder to add to a team. In a trade like this the Marlins staff would have to do a good job of some low level sleeper minor leaguers. I don't not expect the Marlins to think about trading guys like Stanton or Morrison until the off-season.

Brewers - If the Brewers can get a deal like they did last summer when they traded Greinke to the Angels for Yovanni Gallardo I believe he will be 100% moved for sure. But Gallardo is going to have to pick it up the rest of this month for that kind of deal to present itself. The question is if a good but not great deal is on the table for the Brewers do they take it for Gallardo? He has given them years of inconsistency & frustration at times so I say they would move him if a good deal is offered.

In or Out:
Like George Clooney said to Matt Damon in the first Oceans Eleven "You either in or your out". So that's the question for the Rockies & Padres are they in or out? Going into Monday's action the Rockies were 5 games under .500 & the Padres were 7 games under .500, hardly a contender right? Well not in the NL West where each team only finds themselves 5 games behind the 1st place D-Backs in the loss column. So a good streak or a bad one over the next 2 weeks can define if the Rockies and Padres are buyers or sellers. If the Rockies are sellers they would entertain offers for Cuddyer & Betancourt for sure. The Padres I don't see any selling pieces on their main roster other than Houston Street. Even if the Padres do not think they can sign Headley which I don;t think they have come to that conclusion, now would not be the time to trade him after a bad 1st half. But could I see a trade of Street to the Tigers for some prospects? You betcha.

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NL King - C.Lizza

NL King - NL West Up fo Grabs & Cueto

2013-07-02T07:00:00.000-04:00

Has anyone noticed the NL West standings going into Monday nights action. Here is the standings:

Arizona         42-39 ---
Colorado       41-42   2
San Diego     40-42   2.5
San Fran      39-42   3
LA Dodgers 38-43   4

This division with all the teams either at .500 or slightly above or below is totally up for grabs. All of sudden the Dodgers are right in the thick of things. Given the records of the Pirates, Cardinals & Reds the 2 NL wild card teams are coming out of the NL Central it seems. So teams in the NL East & West better win their divisions otherwise they are not going to the post season.

All the teams could use help with starting pitching so all 5 teams are in the bidding for the Brewers, Gallardo, Marlins, Nolasco & Cubs, Garza.

Arizona - If Brandon McCarthy does not come back the D-Backs will need to get another SP especially with the year Ian Kennedy is having. Also if JJ Putz can't hold up going to need someone for the 9th inning as Bell can't be trusted and David Hernandez has been very inconsistent.

Colorado - Great lineup & bullpen has been strong but need another good starter desperately.

San Diego - Need a good starting pitcher and a everyday outfielder to improve their lineup.

San Fran - Like SD need a good starting pitcher and an outfielder.

Dodgers - Need a good starter and if continue to have problems closing out games need someone for the 9th inning.

Cueto Mystery:
Okay Johnny Cueto has been on the DL now for the 3rd time with this mysterious Lat injury as well as during last years post season. Maybe the Reds Medical staff should get their act together give and totally understand his injury and give him the proper rest that he needs so when he comes back he is 100%.

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NL King - C.Lizza

NL King - Breaking Down the Brew Crew

2013-06-28T07:00:00.000-04:00

Today we are breaking down the state of the Milwaukee Brewers and when they are at. They have a number of core players but to become a contending team they need a lot of work. As of Wednesday morning the Brewers were in 4th place, just a game ahead of the last place Cubs with a 32-43 record and 15 games behind the 1st place Cardinals & well behind the wild card teams.

Bats:
They are strong with bats as the Brewers have Braun, Aoki & Gomez in the outfield & Segura at Shortstop & Jonathan Lucroy at catcher. Aramis Ramirez just turned 35 and had an excellent first year with the Brewers. Ramirez is making 10 million this year and is signed for at least one more season in 2014 for 16 million with a team option in 2015 (that carries a 4 million dollar buyout). Given his contract probably would be tough to move Ramirez and get any good assets for him. The Brewers I think have to hope that Rickie Weeks can be the player he was a couple of years ago as he is signed through next year 2014 as part of his long term deal. Corey Hart has yet to take the field this year and maybe out for the year now, is in the final year of his deal making 10 million dollars. Might be wise for the Brewers to use that money elsewhere.

Arms:
Brewers have control of Gallardo through 2015 and he would have to fall off the map for them not to pick up his team option for 2015. Kyle Lohse is also signed the next 2 years through 2015. After that the Brewers currently have no one they can count on in their rotation. However their bullpen might be in worse shape and I don't think anyone in the Brewer front office is ready to sign off on the fact that Jim Henderson is the closer for years to come. They have to see more. John Axford and his 5 million dollar salary will be gone after this season.

Prospects Coming?
Going into this season the Brewers had the 22nd Ranked farm system according to Baseball America. The Brewers only had 1 prospect in the top 100 in Wily Peralta at #69. Peralta is going to get the whole season in the big leagues to get comfortable and show the Brewers if he can be someone they can write into their rotation. The Brewers 2nd best prospect starting pitcher Tyler Thornburg who they hoped they could get a long look at this season is having a nightmare kind of year (0-9, 5.79 ERA in AAA). I would expect that starting pitching prospects Jimmy Nelson & Johnny Hellweg would get a number of starts in the 2nd half to see if the can be counted on to be part of the Brewers rotation come opening day next year. Even though he is only hitting .238 in AAA Hunter Morris might get a long look in the 2nd half to see if he can be counted on for taking over at 1B. Morris does have 14HR's this year in 70 games at AAA & had huge year last year at AA.

Summary:
The Brewers need to find a 1B, get depth for their starting rotation from within (hopefully Marco Estrada can get healthy and regain last years form as well), and somehow get some strong bullpen arms. If the Brewers don't bring Corey Hart back along with John Axford's contract the Brewers should have some money to play with although their will be a good amount of internal raises from their current group. The Brewers do have a competitive payroll around 90 million (about the same as the Mets) but for the most part I believe they are going to have to solve their issues from within because I don't really see any big trade chips that they have that GM Doug Melvin would be willing to part with.

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NL King - C.Lizza

NL King - State of the Union for Phils

2013-06-26T07:00:00.000-04:00

Recently GM Ruben Amaro Jr said the Phillies are not rebuilding. Well I am here to tell you that either the Phils GM needs to wake up and smell the coffee or he doesn't want to let anyone know he is looking into rebuilding trades. As of Tuesday morning June 25th the Phils are in 3rd place with a record of 36-41 and are 8 games behind the 1st place Braves & are 11 games behind in the loss column to the Pirates in the wild card race.

The core of the Phillies is getting long in the tooth and quite simply they are no longer a top team because currently are not throwing 3 aces ever 5 days and Ryan Howard, Chase Utley & Jimmy Rollins are not the players they once were. The Phils have a number of free agents after this year highlighted by Doc Halladay, Chase Utley, Michael Young & Carlos Ruiz. These players salaries this year add up to 48 Million towards the Phillies payroll.

The Phillies farm system going into Spring Training was ranked by Baseball America as the 23rd best system out of 30. On Baseball America 2013 Top 100 the Phillies had 2 prospects on the list with Jesse Biddle (SP) at # 89 & Roman Quinn (SS in A Ball, 20 years old) at # 100. Biddle who is a 21 year old lefty in AA is doing good and projects as a middle of the rotation innings eater. That describes most of the Phillies top prospects, starting pitchers projected to be middle of the rotation guys who are innings eaters. We saw one of them this year in Jonathan Pettibone, I mentioned Biddle in AA, there is also Adam Morgan & Ethan Martin both in AAA but struggling. In terms of position player prospects I mentioned Roman Quinn but he is between 2-3 years away as well as catching prospect Tommy Joseph. The Phils are hoping that power hitter slick fielder Cody Asche who is doing decent in AAA can be their starting 3B come opening day next year. I would imagine the Phils will see what they have with 26 year old Outfielder Darin Ruf sometime this summer although he is not having anywhere close to the year he had in 2012.

Considering the Phils roster and their farm system this is not an organization currently in great shape and one that you would think would contend in the next 3 years. Jimmy Rollins is guaranteed just one more season after this season and Cliff Lee & Jonathan Papelbon just one more after that in 2015. The Phillies look like they have a declining Ryan Howard at age 33 who is making 20 million this season & is guaranteed 85 Million from 2014 - 2016. The Phils have Cole Hamels locked up long term although he is having a bad year in the first year of his mega contract and the only other future core player you can say the Phils have is Domonic Brown.

So given the young talent of the Braves & Nationals its hard to see the Phillies competing. In fact this season the Phillies are 9-4 versus the Marlins which means against everyone else their record is 27-37 (.422). So The NL King is telling Ruben Amaro that if the right trades are there he would be foolish not to move Papelbon & Cliff Lee to get some talented young players to this organization. In addition to doing that Amaro would be freeing up some major payroll giving him money to spend on other free agents. I will also give Amaro some trade ideas. The Tigers are a team where it's World Champs or bust and they do not have a closer. They know with this fact they will not make it through 3 rounds of the playoffs. Papelbon would be a perfect fit for the Tigers and if Amaro can pry loose top OF prospect Nick Castellanos (Rated # 21 by Baseball America Top 100) that's the kind of deal Amaro has to make. As far as Cliff Lee goes sending him back to Texas who is also another team desperately trying to get the brass ring (The Rangers have never won a championship) makes all the sense in the world. Lee really enjoyed his time in Texas, not sure if Texas is one of the 9 teams he can veto a trade to but even if it is I think Lee can be persuaded to go. The Rangers have the 3rd best Farm System in Baseball according to Baseball America and they are very deep. Perfect fit for the Phils.

Don't believe Ruben Amaro, believe The NL King.

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NL King - C.Lizza

NL King - Checking In on Cole & Wheeler

2013-06-25T07:00:00.000-04:00

Today's article is taking a look at two of the top 2 pitching prospects not just in the NL but in MLB who are now in the show.

Gerrit Cole:
3 Starts in the big leagues and Cole is 3-0. It's not suppose to be this easy. In 18 1/3 innings Cole has given up 18 Hits but just 1 walk and 1 HR allowed. Cole has faced the Giants, Dodgers & Angels. Cole has pitched into the 7th inning twice & the 6th inning his other start. Cole has only 8K's in 18+ IP but had 5K's in his last start. Cole's K's were way down this year in the minors even though going into this year he was a K per inning guy. Again in terms of being an effective pitcher and pitching deep into games that may not be a bad thing. Cole in 3 starts has a 3.44 ERA with a ratio slightly above 1. His next start will be this weekend at home versus the Brewers. Have to be impressed with Cole so far especially his control.

Zack Wheeler:
His first start was very impressive especially after his first inning where he walked a couple of batters. Wheeler got his 1st major league win in his first ever start at Atlanta last week. He went 6 innings gave up 0 runs, 4 Hits & 5 Walks with 7K's. Wheeler should be a much better option than Cole when it comes to K's but his control is not as good as Cole so he probably will be a higher ratio guy and pitching for the Mets versus the Pirates probably means Cole will be in line for a lot more wins. Wheeler pitches tonight at the White Sox and then at the end of the weekend in his first home start versus the Nationals.

We will keep an eye out on the progress of these two talented youngsters.

Follow me on Twitter @ The NLKing

NL King - C.Lizza

NL King - NL Team by Team Thoughts

2013-06-24T07:00:00.000-04:00

Lets get a thought or two on each NL team shall we.

Atlanta:
Brandon Beachy injury setback should remind Fantasy Baseball owners that until a player is activated he is not off the DL. After Justin Upton's April I really thought this would be a monster year for him instead he has been awful.

Washington:
Has anyone noticed the year Ian Desmond has had? I know it's not the year Segura of the Brewers is having but Desmond reaffirming last years breakout season.

Philadelphia:
After I wrote look for the Phillies to really look into rebuilding with Lee & Papelbon, GM Reuben Amaro denied his team would rebuild. Hmmm, obviously the Phillies GM reads the NL King. I don't believe him Phillies going wrong way and getting old with a high payroll. That's a bad combo if the right deals are there the Phils would be foolish not to rebuild.

Mets:
If Niese has to have him major surgery that will keep him out until next summer that's a huge blow for the Mets. As thin as their organization is that's a blow they cannot take. With Duda now on the DL smart move keeping Ike in AAA Vegas. While Ike is hitting some HR's still way too many strikeouts down there with a bad average.

Miami:
This past week called Stanton a building block. While I don't think he will be traded before the deadline I don't trust a thing the Marlins say. I can easily see Stanton traded this off-season.

St.Louis:
I be surprised if Cards do not get proven closer by July 31st deadline for the September pennant race and playoffs as good as Mujica has been.

Cincinnati:
After a strong start to the season Todd Frazier has been ice cold.

Milwaukee:
Braun thumb injury probably means we do not see him until at least right after the all-star break. Hart who knows at this point.

Pittsburgh:
So glad to see them playing well, the GM needs to get a proven 5th place RBI guy for the 2nd half for this team.

Cubs:
Everyone is talking about Garza being on the trade market and will be moved by July 31st but what about Scott Feldman who is also a free agent at the end of the year?

D-Backs:
Aaron Hill is inching closer and closer back and it seems like David Hernandez is finally going to get his chance to show he can be a closer.

San Fran:
Pagan injury sounds really really bad. With Pence, Lincecum & Zito all becoming free agents after the season that's 56 Million coming off the payroll.

San Diego:
How is this team over .500 and in a penant & wild card race with that roster?

Colorado:
If Rocks fall out of race and with the year Cuddyer is having be a perfect trade chip for them. He would be the perfect fit for Pirates.

Dodgers:
Will be interesting to see how the Dodgers react to this season if they don't get on a roll after spend spend spend philiosphy. Ethier would be the logical guy to trade but with his back loaded contract and bad year at this point LA will have to east a lot of that money.

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NL King - C.Lizza

NL King - MLB Free Agnecy Next 2 Years

2013-06-22T11:00:00.000-04:00

I thought a good article would be on free agency in MLB this coming off-season and next. This can dictate trades coming up be it before this summer's deadlines or this off-season and of course effect the fantasy landscape especially from an NL only league perspective. In terms of being a fan of a team you will see that free agency the next two years is not a loaded list.

2014 Free Agents (Free Agents after the 2013 Season)

The Elite:
Robinson Cano - By far the #1 free agent and the Yankees do not want to lose Cano in the worst way and Cano wants to stay in this worse way. Ownership and his new agents have been talking quietly during the season and I wouldn't be surprised to see an agreement reached this summer.

Jacob Ellsbury - Capable of some very big years but also has been very injury prone and will be 30 next year. Scott Boras is his agent so it will take a mega deal. It seems Ellsbury who is a West Coast kid is not happy in Boston and I would look for a change of scenery.

Shin-Soo Choo - Having his best year in 3 years and again Boras is his agent so the then 31 year old will be looking for a mega pay day.

Low 30 Year Old High Quality Bats:
Nelson Cruz - Strong corner outfield power bat but part of the Miami investigation which could really hurt his free agency.

Curtis Granderson - Has been hurt all year but even outside Yankee stadium can be a 30HR, 100R guy who can play Center Field for the next 2 years easy.

Corey Hart - Strong power bat and can play 1B & OF and the fact he has been hurt all season maybe can get for a reasonable price in off-season. Has been with Brewers since mid way 06 so good chance Brewers keep him especially if deal is reasonable.

Brian McCann - Will be 30 next February and with the mileage on McCann & Gattis on the roster Braves & freeing up a big number in payroll Braves might move on.

Kendrey Morales - Perfect fit would be an AL team where he can DH and a homer haven kind of ballpark like Camden.

Michael Morse - Big power and can play 1B & OF. Could be great fit for Mets.

Mike Napoli - His body and hip might be all beat up but having another quality season. Based on his health might have to go on incentive laden year to year contracts.

Hunter Pence - Having the best year of his career and played in competitive markets such as Philly & SF already in his career.

Mark Reynolds - Low average and a lot of K's but a lot of Pop and can play 1B & 3B.

Vet Bats Over 35 - Beware of Injury
Carlos Beltran (Oscar Taveras probably means Cards move on), Paul Konerko (been with White Sox forever might retire) & Chase Utley (2 bad knees not sure what happens with him but figure incentive 1 year deal from somebody).

Pitching:
There is no #1 starters or ace closers available in this free agent class. Field is lead by 2nd tier and nice to good starters. Very thin in terms of relievers. Arroyo, AJ Burnett (said he might retire), De La Rosa, Feldman, Garza, Halladay, Hughes, Josh Johnson (Great stuff but needs consistency & health big IF for him), Kuroda (wants to finish his career in Japan), Lincecum (another below avg year is the magic gone?), Maholm, Nolasco, F.Rodney, & E.Santana.

The following year class of 2015:
Sounds like Clayton Kershaw is close to signing a huge extension with the Dodgers which would mean he would not be apart of this free agent class. The big free agents of this class left would be R.Martin, M.Cuddyer, A.Cabrera, JJ Hardy, J.Lowrie, H.Ramirez, C.Headley, P.Sandoval, M.Cabrera, B.Gardner, J.Willingham, H.Bailey, R.Dempster, J.Peavy, J.Grilli, J.Johnson, J.Motte, C.Perez, JJ Putz & S.Romo. Some good players for sure but almost everyone has question marks / flaws to their game or situation.

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NL King - C.Lizza

NL King - Top 5 Closers So Far

2013-06-21T07:00:00.000-04:00

Today we finish the Top 5 articles by looking at the closers. Again the stats are reflective through the games played June 16th.

Coming in at # 5 is Jonathan Papelbon

Jonathan Papelbon - 0W, 13SV, 1.46 ERA, 0.69 Ratio, 23K in 24 2/3 IP
Not his fault he only has 13 saves. Could be trade bait come July as the Phils I think are heading to a rebuilding plan.

Coming in at #4 is Edward Mujica

Edward Mujica - 0W, 19SV, 1.82 ERA, 0.64 Ratio, 27K in 29 2/3 IP
This will be a 1 year wonder but if you have Mujica this year feel like the Roto Gods are smiling on you. Come July 31st I expect the Cards might trade for a proven closer for down the stretch and for them hopefully deep in the playoffs.

Coming in at #3 Craig Kimbrel

Craig Kimbrel - 2W, 19SV, 1.71 ERA, 1.03 Ratio, 37K in 26 1/3 IP
His K's are still excellent but not the ridiculous numbers they were last year.

Coming in at #2 Arodolis Chapman

Arodolis Chapman - 3W, 17SV, 2.10 ERA, 1.00 Ratio, 52K in 30 IP
One would think Chapman & Kimbrel will be elite closers in the NL for at least the next 5 years but then again with closers you never know.

And at #1 we have drum roll please

#1 is Jason Grilli, Jason Grilli is that right?

Yes it is

Jason Grilli - 0W, 25SV, 0.88 ERA, 0.78 Ratio, 51K in 30 2/3 IP
The journeyman reliever / 1st time closer is having a Joe Hardy like season. For those of you who don't know who Joe Hardy is please get some more culture outside of Fantasy Baseball.

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NL King - C.Lizza

NL King - Top 5 NL SP So Far

2013-06-20T07:00:00.000-04:00

Okay today we take a look at the top 5 NL Staring Pitchers as of Monday morning June 17th. The stats reflected are through June 16th.

Coming in at #5 Mike Minor

Mike Minor - 8W, 2.68 ERA, 0.97 Ratio, 85K in 90 1/3 IP
For those of you like my buddy Ed who would read the off-season NL King article talking about 2013 would be the year Minor would break through you have been rewarded.

Coming in at #4 Cliff Lee

Cliff Lee - 8W, 2.55 ERA, 0.98 Ratio, 89K in 102 1/3 IP
Has been his usual money in the bank just have to hope he doesn't get traded to the AL come July.

Coming in at #3 Shelby Miller

Shelby Miller - 7W, 2.21 ERA, 0.97 Ratio, 91K in 81 1/3 IP
Went from being very on the fence at the end of Spring Training on making the rotation to most likely an All-Star. Should be dominant for years to come.

Coming in at #2 Matt Harvey

Matt Harvey - 5W, 2.04 ERA, 0.91 Ratio, 102K in 97 IP
If Harvey was on a decent team he would have 10 Wins. Come September I can see the Mets shutting him down as those IP add up.

And at #1 we have, drum roll please

#1 is Clayton Kershaw

Clayton Kershaw - 5W, 1.85 ERA, 0.97 Ratio, 104K in 107 1/3 IP
Lets face it he is the best starter in all of MLB in real life and in fantasy.

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NL King - C.Lizza

NL King - Top 5 NL Hitters For 2013 So Far

2013-06-19T07:00:00.000-04:00

I am going to break down the top 5 NL Fantasy Hitters as of Monday morning June 17th. All stats shown are reflecting through games played June 16th.

Coming in at #5 we have Hunter Pence

Hunter Pence - 11HR, 38RBI, 41R, 13SB, .297 Avg
Can you say contract year? Pence is running again as Pence did not break double digit steals the last 2 full seasons and already has 13. Also so far great rebound from his career low season average of .253 last year.

Coming in at #4 we have Paul Goldschmidt

Paul Goldschmidt - 15HR, 59RBI, 45R, 6SB, .301 Avg
Goldy has cooled off recently but still across the board huge production. Last year he was a quiet 5 category player this year there is nothing quiet about his game.

Coming in at #3 we have Jean Segura

Jean Segura - 10HR, 30RBI, 40R, 19SB, .330 Avg
No doubt the biggest surprise of the group by a country mile. Do you think the Angels regret giving up Segura in the Greinke deal? 5 Category player at Shortstop as Patrick McEnroe the tennis announcer would say "HELLO!"

Coming in at #2 we have Carlos Gomez

Carlos Gomez - 12HR, 37RBI, 43R, 13SB, .318 Avg
Showing last year was not a fluke and that the contract extension did not impact his focus. For years he was a guy who could give you 15 to 20 steals and not much more but with a poor average. No more.

And the #1 hitter in the NL is, drum roll please

Number One is Carlos Gonzalez

Carlos Gonzalez - 20HR, 56RBI, 57R, 13SB, .316 Avg
His talent, his tools, the lineup he is in, the ballpark all adds up to a monster year for Cargo as he just needed to stay healthy (has only missed 2 games so far this year) & be more consistent. Many people have been waiting for this year the last couple of years.

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NL King - C.Lizza

NL King - The All NL End of Draft Squad

2013-06-18T13:00:00.000-04:00

Listed below is the team one could have put together with all these players, as almost all of them in an NL only draft what at the very end of the draft at the lowest prices. Some of these guys you could have got in the reserve rounds or they may not have even been drafted at all.

Catcher - Evan Gattis- Atl - 14HR, 37RBI, 24R, 0SB, .252 Avg
Unfortunately he just landed on the DL with an oblique but look at the thunder he has provided already.

First Base - Kyle Blanks - SD - 8HR, 26RBI, 23R, 1SB, .282 Avg
Are we heading for another Dominic Brown situation out west?

Second Base - Matt Carpentar - Stl - 5HR, 25RBI, 52R, 1SB, .316 Avg
Yes he started the year as the so called starter but most leagues you could have got him for a song on draft day.

Shortstop - Brandon Crawford - SF - 5HR, 28RBI, 33R, 1SB, .285 Avg
Providing nice numbers across the board. Never hit for a good average until this year.

Third Base - Eric Chavez - Arz - 7HR, 25RBI, 18R, 1SB, .325 Avg
Still on the DL with oblique but should be back no later than end of the month and look at the production he has provided.

Outfield - Domonic Brown - Phil - 19HR, 49RBI, 34R, 8SB, .280 Avg
Pretty much a 5 category guy at the end of the draft.

Outfield - Nate Schierholtz - Cubs - 9HR, 26RBI, 26R, 4SB, .297 Avg
Quiet 5 category player production so far.

Outfield - Chris Denorfia - SD - 4HR, 22RBI, 27R, 7SB, .282 Avg
Provides great depth

Starting Pitcher - Patrick Corbin - Arz - 9W, 2.28 ERA, 1.01 Ratio, 74K
Went from barely making the team to an ace

Starting Pitcher - Mike Leake - Cinn - 7W, 2.64 ERA, 1.22 Ratio, 62K
Has eliminated the blow out starts

Starting Pitcher - Jeff Locke - Pitt - 6W, 2.19 ERA, 1.14 Ratio, 60K
Again made the team at the end of Spring Training and has produced like a front of the rotation starter.

Staring Pitcher - Scott Feldman - Cubs - 6W, 3.05 ERA, 1.10 Ratio, 60K
Went from an over 5 ERA in the AL to slightly above 3 in the NL and that's pitching in Wrigley. Have to love the NL

Starting Pitcher - Francisco Liriano - Pirates - 5W, 2.44 ERA, 1.25 Ratio, 55K
Pitches like this but couldn't pass his physical on the original contract?

Closer - Edward Mujica - Stl - 0W, 20SV, 2.03 ERA, 0.68 Ratio, 27K
Most leagues at best was taken in the reserve rounds.

Setup Man - Rex Brothers - Col - 2W, 3SV, 0.30 ERA, 1.20 Ratio, 29K
That ERA is not a misprint

Setup Man - Mark Melancon - Pitt - 1W, 1SV, 1.05 ERA, 0.90 Ratio, 37K
It's easier for a lot of reasons to pitch in the NL for the Pirates or Houston when they were in the NL vs for the Red Sox.

Follow me on Twitter @ TheNLKing

NL King - C.Lizza