Playing the Name Game

LAD

We've all seen the fantasy baseball articles where the writer will compare one nameless player's statistics to another nameless player's statistics and then hit you with a ton of reasons why you should be looking past simple name recognition if you want to be winning your fantasy baseball league. And do you know why you see articles of this type all over the fantasy baseball blogosphere? Because they're very helpful when evaluating your roster and the "who's who" out there on waivers.

I'll run through a few of my own comparisons (using standard 5x5 categories) for your fantasy baseball viewing pleasure and hopefully give you something to mull over as you assess your roster(s).

• Player A: .321 BA (17/53), 15 R, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 1 SB
• Player B: .255 BA (24/94), 15 R, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 1 SB

Simple comparisons show that Player A has only gotten roughly half the at-bats that Player B has received so far but has been able to score the same amount of runs, hit the same number of home runs and steal the same amount of bases, all with a higher batting average and just four less RBI. A deeper look into another statistic shows Player A has an .956 OPS while Player B's is .691. Any guesses yet? Well, Player A is Casey Blake and Player B is Martin Prado. Blake is owned in 12.4% of ESPN leagues and Prado is 100% owned, as he should be.

My fantasy perspective: Blake has settled in as the Dodgers' number two hitting and should get plenty of opportunities to continue scoring runs with the likes of Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier tearing it up behind him, as long as he keeps getting on base. His value comes in deeper mixed leagues that utilize an extra CI and/or IF roster spot or in the much shallower NL-only format. Prado owners shouldn't be concerned.

• Player A: .282 BA (22/78), 11 R, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 2 SB
• Player B: .311 BA (28/90), 10 R, 0 HR, 8 RBI, 3 SB

Not a ton of difference here other than the fact that Player B hasn't shown the ability to hit a home run yet. A deeper look into their player profiles shows that Player A has walked 15 times compared to Player B's six times. Both players qualify at 2B, while Player B also qualifies at SS. Player B leads all 2B-eligible players with 28 hits this season. Any guesses? Player A is 100% owned Dustin Pedroia while Player B is 54.6% owned Ryan Theriot.

My fantasy perspective: Theriot is another of those players manager Tony LaRussa loves to pencil in at the top of his lineup card night after night. His value comes in the runs and stolen base categories while not hurting you in batting average (career .285 average). He won't help you much in home runs or RBI. His 2B/SS eligibility could help you in those deeper mixed leagues with an MI position or the shallow NL-only leagues. Pedroia owners should start to see even more benefits to their investment now that the Red Sox offense seems to be firing on all cylinders.

• Player A: 0-2, 26 K, 3.90 ERA, 1.10 WHIP
• Player B: 3-2, 29 K, 2.64 ERA, 1.17 WHIP

To start off, each of these pitchers have started five games this season and recorded four quality starts. Player A has allowed two runs or less in four starts and had his bullpen blow three chances for a win. Player B has allowed just one earned run and nine hits in his last three starts (20.2 innings pitched). Any guesses who these pitchers are yet? Player A is 100% owned Chris Carpenter while Player B is 39.1% owned Randy Wolf.

My fantasy perspective: Carpenter has been a tough luck recipient of a bullpen in flux but should benefit now that Mitchell Boggs has been named the closer and acting like one (3-for-3 in save opportunities). Wins aren't an easy stat to predict but he'll give you the the ERA, WHIP and K's we've come to expect from him. Wolf is in a groove and should be streamed, if not owned, for his next start against the Astros.

• Player A: .283 BA (28/99), 13 R, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 1 SB
• Player B: .216 BA (16/74), 10 R, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 5 SB

This is the classic case of owners drafting a player based on potential and hanging on to him longer than warranted. Player A was virtually undrafted while Player B cost owners an ADP of 67.7. So what's an owner to do when saddled with Player B, one that's cost them such a high pick? Sell low? Cut and run? There aren't many options for owners (such as myself) who thought this could be a bounce-back season for B.J. Upton other than to either keep running him out there and taking the good (5 SB) with the bad (.216 BA) or keeping him on the bench to limit the damage and hope he turns it around soon. Oh, Player A is Melky Cabrera and he's only 19.5% owned. Nothing sexy about throwing his name around fantasy baseball circles but he's currently playing with a renewed fire and has value in leagues using lots of outfield roster spots.

Doing exercises such as these regularly will help you not fall in love with a player's name recognition or your personal investment you have in him. And it is even easy to do if you're in a one-and-done league rather than a keeper or dynasty format. Just make wise decisions when it comes to the waiver wire because in no world am I suggesting you ever drop Upton to pick up Melky. But dropping Julio Borbon (.214/3/0/4/2) for Cabrera wouldn't be a difficult move to make at this point. Just be ready to do the opposite should Borbon turn things around.

What types of fantasy baseball articles are you finding most valuable to your teams on the web these days? Player projections? Injury updates? Waiver wire gems? Hot players being added or why others are being dropped? Let me know so I can continue to tailor the content COSFBA has to offer the competitive fantasy baseball player in this, just year two, of a site that continues to find its place in the blogosphere.

Fun With Player Projections

LAD

With three full weeks of games in the books to start the 2011 season, it's time to start looking at some of the statistics players are putting up and determining what's true or false about what we are seeing. ESPN Player Profile pages have a fun "projected" line worth looking at but have little value in truly projecting the season's outcomes with such as small sample size:

• SS Starlin Castro, CHC leads the majors with 35 hits in 21 games. At his current pace, he projects to collect 270 hits, breaking Ichiro Suzuki's 2004 record of 262. It's doubtful Castro gets anywhere near the record but if you wound up with him on your roster(s) rather than Derek Jeter or Hanley Ramirez, you're not in a position to complain.
• 3B/OF Jose Bautista, TOR is tied for the major league lead with seven home runs, has scored 19 runs and walked 19 times in just 18 games this season. At his current pace, he projects to hit 54 home runs (sound familiar?), score 147 runs and walk 147 times. None of these numbers put him in the stratosphere of "record-breaking" but they should be putting the talk of his 2010 simply being a fluke to rest.
• 1B Prince Fielder, MIL leads the majors with 22 RBI in his first 21 games this season. At his current pace, he'd drive in 170 runs in 162 games played. It's unlikely he'll keep up this pace but he could be back in line with his own 2009, when he drove in 141 runs in 162 games. Either way, his owners have to be pleased with his hot start to 2011.
• OF Sam Fuld, TB has an unlikely 27 hits and 10 stolen bases in 20 games this season. At his current pace, Fuld will accumulate 199 hits and 74 steals. Could 175 hits and 40 stolen bases be that unrealistic for a player that's proving he deserves every opportunity to be in the lineup?
• OF/DH Bobby Abreu,  may only be hitting .240 but he's tied for the major league lead with 19 walks for a robust .394 OBP. At his current pace, that walk rate would put him at 140 for the season. He has a career .400 OBP and has walked over 120 times in a season twice, so this pace isn't all that unheard of for the disciplined Abreu.
• OF Matt Kemp, LAD is doing all he can to make fantasy owners forget about his 2010 season by starting off 2011 with this insane 5x5 line: .402/16/5/17/8. At his current pace, he's looking at a season's ending line of .402/127/35/127/56 and a run at the Triple Crown. There's no way he hits anywhere near .400 but he looks like a man on a mission to go 40/40. If you passed on Kemp because you were burned by him in 2010, there's always 2012.
• OF Dexter Fowler, COL is unfortunately tied for the major league lead in strikeouts with 27 but has offset that with 14 walks and a .381 OBP. At his current pace, Fowler would strike out 208 times and walk 108.
• OF Juan Pierre, CHW is known for his stolen base prowess in fantasy baseball but he already has been caught stealing five times to go along with his five stolen bases. At his current pace, Pierre would be looking at 37 SB and 37 CS. Now, it seems highly unlikely that he'll get caught stealing that often but you may start wondering if he's losing a step at age 33. And without his speed, Pierre's not much of a fantasy option.
• SP Jered Weaver, LAA is 5-0 with 39 strikeouts in 36.2 innings over his first five starts. At his current pace, Weaver projects to start 39 games and strike out 301 batters in 278.2 innings pitched. Those just aren't realistic numbers in today's game but if he keeps his current 9.6 K/9 and matches his innings pitched from 2010 (224.1), he'd probably wind up leading the majors in strikeouts again in 2011 with 241.
• CL Mariano Rivera, NYY has appeared in 11 of the Yankees first 18 games and saved seven of their 12 wins. At his current pace, Rivera would appear in 99 games and finish the season with 63 saves. He's only averaging 64.2 appearances over the last five seasons, so he should slow down once the rest of the Yankee pen settles into their roles. I'd bet Rivera's a lock for his usual 35-45 saves again this year.

The goal of this exercise is to point out not getting too crazy over such a small sample of statistics, positively or negatively. Proven stars will more than likely return to levels that proven stars are used to performing at, statistically speaking. Now, that doesn't mean a top player can't have a down year (see Matt Kemp's 2010) but at least give everyone more than 1/8th of the overall schedule to prove their values to your fantasy baseball roster(s).

Which players are you buying are for real and what numbers are you predicting for them that might surprise most? Which players are you afraid are going to have an off or down year and are ready to cut ties with (drop or trade)? Please use the comments section below to get the conversation started.

Fantasy Baseball News and Notes from April 19th, 2011

LAD

Here are some fantasy baseball tidbits I picked up from games played on April 19th, 2011:

• DH Adam Dunn, CHW has two hits in his last 27 at-bats and may be dropped down in the batting order.
• RP J.P. Howell, TB, coming back from left shoulder surgery, is set to pitch in extended spring training after throwing a 35-pitch batting practice session. The reliever is not expected to rejoin the team until mid-May.
• C Matt Wieters, BAL is 5-for-5 with eight RBI this season with runners in scoring position.
• OF Nick Markakis, BAL has only one hit in his last 20 at-bats.
• OF Ryan Braun, MIL is 9 for 19 in his last five games, and has reached safely in all 17 games this season.
• Toronto activated RP Frank Francisco (right shoulder) off the 15-day DL and optioned SP Jesse Litsch to Triple-A Las Vegas. Francisco will be in the mix for saves with Jon Rauch depending on the situation.
• 3B David Wright, NYM is hitless in his last 16 at-bats with seven strikeouts.
• OF Michael Bourn, HOU is 8-for-8 on stolen base attempts this year and has swiped 16 straight dating to last season.
• SP Josh Johnson, FLA is now 3-0 with a 1.00 ERA, a 0.59 WHIP and a 9.00 K/9 ratio this season. He's allowed four hits or less in each of his four starts and batters are hitting .112 against him.
• OF Logan Morrison, FLA left the game in the fifth inning with a strained arch in his left foot and hopes to be back in the lineup within a couple of days.
• CL J.J. Putz, ARI is 4-for-4 in save chances this season with an 11.57 K/9 ratio over 7 IP.
• 3B/OF Alex Gordon, KC went 2-for-4, raising his batting average to .361, with two stolen bases.
• OF Grady Sizemore, CLE is 5-for-9 with two doubles, two RBI and a home run in two games since returning from knee surgery. Indians manager Manny Acta plans to let him play three or four games every five days or so. Plan accordingly.
• OF Andre Ethier, LAD went 1-for-4 and extended his hitting streak to 16 games. He's hitting .362 on the season.

Line of the Day: April 17th, 2011

LAD

OF Matt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dodgers went 3-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and a run scored in a 2-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. The home run was a walk-off 2-run shot off of Cardinals' closer (for the moment) Ryan Franklin. It was Kemp's second career game-ending home run.

Line: 4 AB, 1 R, 3 H, 2 RBI; HR, CS

Fantasy perspective: Kemp is doing all he can to make owners forget about his disappointing 2010 season by starting the season off with a .474 BA (27/57), 3 HR, 12 RBI, 12 R and 8 SB. He's also carrying an insane .545 OBP with a 1.265 OPS. He single-handedly could be keeping most fantasy teams afloat. We may all finally be seeing the player with 40/40 potential shining through.

Agree? Disagree? Check out ESPN's formula for determining the best daily performances and nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.

2011 Draft Results: First Basemen Targeted

LAD

If you are new to the world of fantasy baseball, you should be very aware that first base is traditionally a position of great depth filled with some of the most impactful players. Heading into the 2011 season, this still holds true. MockDraftCentral.com is showing 10 of the top 50 players being drafted currently qualify as first basemen. If your league uses a corner infielder (CI or 1B/3B), extra infielder (IF), designated hitter (DH) or even a utility slot (UTIL) or two, there's a great opportunity to add one or more of these highly coveted players.

I went into all of my drafts having some players within the different tiers of first basemen as targets but draft position was really going to determine who I grabbed in the early rounds and how that would shape my entire roster. I wound up drafting 1st, 6th, 8th and 7th in my four snake drafts which meant three of my four drafts would have a lot of familiar faces...so I thought.

But before getting to the snake draft results, I wanted to talk about my online auction draft, which had me aggressively biding for the players I deemed "must have" and produced some interesting results:

• Adam Dunn, CHW ($30)
• Paul Konerko, CHW ($20)
• Mitch Moreland, TEX ($4)
• Dan Johnson, TB ($1)

I was in on all of the big name first basemen (Pujols, Miggy, AGon, etc) early but wound up bailing when I realized the prices were going to go a lot higher than I was willing to go. That strategy allowed me to focus in on and win such big names as Tulo ($39) and CarGo ($34) and drop down into the next tier of players and outbid everyone for a nice Dunn/Konerko duo to fill my 1B and CI roster slots. Moreland was a definite "sleeper" target while  Johnson was simply a late-round flier to add some possible depth to my bench, IF he wins the starting job in Tampa Bay. There were 390 players drafted in this league, so I fell pretty confident in what I was able to acquire and look forward to putting this plan into action.


Snake drafts definitely allow you to focus in on player tiers a little easier than an auction because most people are choosing from the best available ranked players (minus the ones you know will be autopicked). And here are the results of my four snake drafts for players that currently qualify at first base (draft pick in parenthesis):

• Albert Pujols (1)
• Kevin Youkilis (23), Adam Dunn (34) and Brandon Belt (314)
• Adam Dunn (36), Ike Davis (204) and Brandon Belt (316)
• Adam Dunn (35), Gaby Sanchez (175) and Brandon Belt (330)

Okay, so I may have a man-crush on Adam Dunn. What's not to love about a guy that can crush 40 bombs in his sleep? The possibility of a devastatingly low batting average will always be there but I try to balance that out on my roster with a player that might offset the two categories where Dunn won't help you much these days (batting average and stolen bases). I believe so heavily in this strategy that one of the first fantasy baseball articles I ever had the opportunity to write was titled "Surviving Adam Dunn" in August of 2008.

The league where the only first baseman I drafted was the best one, Pujols, was a lot shallower than the other three and I was able to grab the versatile Michael Young (97) for my CI slot and heavily invest in quality outfielders in the early rounds; Matt Kemp (24), Ichiro Suzuki (48), Jayson Werth (49) and Hunter Pence (73).

Heavily investing three very late-round picks in Brandon Belt ("sleeper"?) seemed worth the upside risk of him becoming this season's Buster Posey. There's still a chance he will break camp with the Giants and receive a ton of playing time but, if not, June could be more realistic for his arrival. Either way, I was willing to take a shot to see how the first few weeks of the season play out and whether or not Belt will bring me any value on this relatively inexpensive investment.

Ike Davis and Gaby Sanchez are similar offensive players (.270/20/80) and the best available to fill a roster need in the middle rounds. Period. I may not be overly excited to own either but I think, at the end of the year, their steady production will prove to be valuable to the overall success of my teams.

Similarly to my catcher targets, my teams have a lot of commonalities on purpose. One, it makes it easier to manage multiple teams when it comes to injuries or slumps and two, these are the players I am most interested in following. The goal of all of my teams is to win (especially the one money league I decided to join) but I also enjoy having fun as a fan of the game of baseball.

What strategies did you use when it came to drafting players that qualified at first base? What unique settings does your league have in place that made some players more favorable than others? Do you change strategies based on a classic rotisserie league versus a head-to-head scoring league? Please feel free to comment on my players or share your personal experiences when looking back on your draft(s) outcomes.

Finding Keepers: Los Angeles Dodgers

LAD

Going into the 2011 season, the Los Angeles Dodgers have some very nice fantasy players but how many of them deserve to be keepers heading into draft day?

If you put together your "All Disappointment" Team of 2010, most would have OF Matt Kemp earning a spot in the starting lineup. Google searching seems to prove he earned it. But is it deservingly so? Kemp, a full-time player since 2008, did reach career highs in extra-base hits (59), home runs (28) and walks (53) but also in strikeouts (170) and caught stealings (15). His slash line of .249/.310/.450 was below his career slash line of .285/.336/.472 but not significantly other than in batting average. In my opinion, the perception of his season as being "down" comes from Kemp being drafted as a first-rounder (8.8 ADP) but only providing owners with an 83rd-ranked performance. With Joe Torre and Rihanna out of the way, Kemp's focus should be on returning to an elite fantasy baseball outfielder and definitely worthy of a keeper selection in all formats.

OF Andre Ethier was hitting .392 with 11 HR and 38 RBI before fracturing his pinkie in batting practice on May 15th. His season never felt the same after that. Ethier still managed to finish 2010 hitting .292 with 23 HR and 82 RBI and deserves to to be keeper.

We all learned from watching Felix Hernandez earn a Cy Young award this season that wins aren't the truest measure of a pitcher's value. SP Clayton Kershaw finished the season 13-10 with a 2.91 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 212 strikeouts (9.3 K/9). Those are fantasy ace numbers. Oh, by the way, he's just 22 years old. 22! With so much still to learn about pitching at the major league level, Kershaw deserves to be a keeper now and for many years to come.


I often talk about factors that should be considered when evaluating a player's status as a keeper and one of this is positional scarcity or positional ranking. SS Rafael Furcal finished the season as the 6th-ranked shortstop on ESPN's Player Rater with a .300/66/8/43/22 but only managed to play in 97 games. Is he an injury risk or an upper-tier shortstop? I choose the latter. What about you?

Best of the rest but not keepers:

• 1B James Loney hit a career-worst .267 but still managed to come close to his career averages in runs, hits and RBI while stealing a career-best 10 bases. He finished the season as the 23rd-ranked first baseman.
• SP Hiroki Kuroda only finished the season 11-13 but posted a 3.39 ERA with a 1.16 WHIP. A very nice pitching option but not a keeper.
• SP Chad Billingsley was supposed to be this team's ace but struggled at times and finished the season 12-11 with a 3.57 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP.
• RP Jonathan Broxton came into the season as a dominant closer but struggled (misuse?) and replaced by RP Hong-Chih Kuo who was very effective in that role. It will be interesting to see how Mattingly aligns his bullpen for 2011.

That's all I got off the Dodgers roster heading into keeper season. Are their others you're more optimistic about than I am? I'd love to hear from the die-hard Dodgers fans regarding the overall outlook for the 2011 season (I'm talking to you @Alyssa_Milano).

Check out the rest of the teams I've covered so far in my "Finders Keepers" series by clicking here.

Line of the Day: 10/03/2010

LAD

OF Matt Kemp, LAD was 1-for-3 with a home run, two RBI, a run and a walk in the Dodgers 3-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. The home run ended Kemp's season with a streak of five consecutive games with a home run (with 12 RBI) and maybe gives fantasy owners hope for better things to come in 2011. Kemp's ADP was 8.8 in 2010 but left most fantasy owners feeling disappointed with the .249 batting average even though he reached a career-high in home runs with 28. Even his 19 stolen bases leave more to be desired when you consider he was caught stealing 15 times (net +4). Kemp has the ability to be a serious 30/30 threat but his issues aren't so much between the lines as they are between his ears.

Agree? Disagree? Nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.

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Line of the Day: 09/14/2010

LAD

SP Clayton Kershaw, LAD pitched a complete game four-hit shutout against the San Francisco Giants, striking out four and walking none in the 1-0 victory. This was his first career shutout and he's now 12-10 on the season with a 2.85 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 201 strikeouts in 192.1 innings. At only 22 years old, Kershaw's future looks bright as a fantasy baseball ace!

Agree? Disagree? Nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.

Like what you see here on COSFBA? Think a friend or family member might enjoy it too? Please use one of the "share" options below to help spread the word about COSFBA. Much appreciated.

Line of the Day: 08/19/2010

LAD

SP Ted Lilly, LAD tossed a complete game two-hit shutout in which he walked two and struck out a season-high 11 batters in a win over the Colorado Rockies. Lilly improved to 4-0 with the Dodgers and has given up just four runs in 28 innings with his new team. Fantasy owners are reaping the benefits of Lilly being traded away from the lowly Cubs.

Agree? Disagree? Nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.

Waiver Saviors: 08/15/2010

LAD

Here's the latest batch of players that are widely available in ESPN and Yahoo! leagues in the latest installment of COSFBA's Waiver Saviors:

• OF Pat Burrell, SF (10.8% E; 10% Y!) has found a home in San Francisco. After batting just .202 in 24 games with two home runs (42.0 AB/HR) with Tampa Bay, Burrell is hitting .290 in 55 games with 10 home runs (16.2 AB/HR). He's now hitting .385 with 4 HR, 13 RBI and a 1.290 OPS in August.
• OF Mike Stanton, FLA (58.4% E; 39% Y!) is riding a six-game hitting streak in which he's gone 14/24 (.583) with four home runs and eight RBI. His average is now up to .270 after being as low as .217 as recently as July 25th.
• OF J.D. Drew, BOS (42.9% E; 41% Y!) is in the midst of a hot streak (8/27, 4 HR, 6 RBI, 5 R) and on pace for another 20+ HR season.
• 1B/3B Wilson Betemit, KC (0.7% E; 1% Y!) has been the Royals' primary option at third base since they traded Alberto Callaspo, and he has responded by going 19-for-56 (.339) with five home runs in 16 games.
• SP Jeremy Guthrie, BAL (3.7% E; 9% Y!) has run off six straight quality starts (41.2 IP) while going 4-1 with a 1.51 ERA and 0.94 WHIP over that span. He's definitely worth a spot start in favorable match ups against any non-AL East opponents.
• RP Hong-Chih Kuo, LAD (20.7% E; 32% Y!) has taken over the closer role for the Dodgers and definitely needs to be owned while in that role. He sports a robust 11.20 K/9 and ridiculous ratios (a 0.88 ERA and a 0.80 WHIP). A definite own if your league uses Holds too (17 Holds on the season).
• RP J.J. Putz, CHW (12.5% E; 26% Y!) should be in the mix for Saves and Holds while Bobby Jenks struggles through an injury and maybe even a DL stint. Overall, he's carrying a 2.28 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and a 10.38 K/9 ratio.

Stay active on the waiver wire and be sure to keep an eye on your league settings. If you are in a close race or need to make up ground, be sure to exploit any setting that you can. Being aware can be the difference between a money spot or an almost-ran.

Waiver Saviors: 07/25/2010

LAD

Here are some names of note that are widely available in ESPN and Yahoo! leagues in the latest installment of Waiver Saviors:

• 1B/OF Luke Scott, BAL (17.7% E; 21% Y!) is on another of his typical, streaky tears. Since returning from the DL, he's hitting .458 (11/24) with 4 HR, 8 RBI, 5 runs and a 1.458 OPS in 6 games. For a guy hitting around .300 for the season and projecting 30 HR, you'd expect higher ownership numbers.
• OF Jack Cust, OAK (6.5% E; 8% Y!) is on fire in July. Hitting .346 (18/52) with 6 HR, 18 RBI, 14 runs and 14 walks, Cust could be a very nice add in OBP and/or OPS leagues.
• 3B Pedro Alvarez, PIT (25.6 E; 25% Y!) may finally be living up to his potential. In July, he's raised his average from .152 to .252 by hitting .315 (23/73) with 7 HR, 15 RBI and 13 runs. He could help you at the CI position in deep leagues or be a nice gamble in a keeper league if you are already thinking about next season.
• SS Starlin Castro, CHC (43.3% E; 24% Y!) has got his groove back and loving his move into the #2 spot. Over the last 7 days, he's 13/27 (.481) with 1 HR, 6 RBI, 5 runs and 2 SB. Castro is a player with huge fantasy baseball upside and worthy of a roster spot in all formats.
• SP Vincente Padilla, LAD (34.8% E; 31% Y!) is starting to look like a pitcher that deserved starting opening day. He's allowed two runs or less in each of his last six starts and and sporting a nice 61:15 K:BB in 68.2 IP on the season.
• RP Chris Perez, CLE (45.7% E; 37% Y!) is back in the closer role for the Indians, replacing the oft-injured Kerry Wood again. Perez should be owned in any format that uses saves. He has 3 Saves (and 2 Holds) and a 11.32 K/9 ratio over his last 10.1 IP.

Are you already in a rebuilding stage or attempting to identify next season's keepers? At what point do you consider yourself too far out of the running? It better not be once you draft your fantasy football team.

Be sure to follow COSFBA on Twitter at http://twitter.com/COSFBA. Thanks!

Line of the Day: 06/15/2010

LAD

1B James Loney, LAD was 4-for5 with (3) 2B, (2) RBI, (1) R and (7) total bases. It doesn't look like Loney will ever be a power bat at first base (career 15 HR/162 G), but his career .296 BA and 94 RBI/162 G make him a very nice mid-tier option. Loney is also 9-for-12 in stolen bases this season, which is a very nice plus for a corner infielder.

Agree? Disagree? Nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.

Waiver Saviors: 06/04/2010

LAD

Here are a few more names of note that are widely available in ESPN and Yahoo! leagues in the latest installment of Waiver Saviors:

• 3B Neil Walker, PIT (0.5% E; 3% Y!) is the latest Pittsburgh prospect called up to the big club and will be given the chance to keep the 2B job. In the minors, he's shown home run numbers in the the teens. So far he hasn't disappointed with a .312 BA (10/32), 2 R, 1 HR and 4 RBI in 8 games. He'll soon have 2B eligibility and could provide a nice boost in a CI or MI roster slot in deep mixed leagues.
• C/1B Buster Posey, SF (60% E; 50% Y!) finally got the call-up and is living up to the preseason hype, so far. In his first five games, he's gone 9/19 (.474 BA) with a run and four RBI. It may take him some time to find his power stroke, but in the meantime, he has the potential to be a top-10 catcher by season's end.
• OF Michael Stanton, FLA (10% E; 18% Y!) should be called up to the Marlins any day now. The question is "How much playing time will he get?". His 20 HR in just 176 Double-A at bats this season is what the buzz is all about (oh, and stuff like this).If you have the roster spot to stash him, now may be the time.
• SP John Ely, LAD (59% E; 35% Y!) had a rough first outing (5 ER in 6 IP) but has run off six straight quality starts and boasting very nice ratios of a 2.54 ERA and 0.93 WHIP. Toss in his 7.24 K/9 and 4.63 K/BB ratios and you have a very ownable starting pitcher.
• RP John Axford, MIL (31% E; 21% Y!) seems to be the Brewers closer and is getting the job done (1 W; 3 SV). Until he loses his grip on getting the ball in the 9th inning, he should be owned in all formats using saves.

Have you been stashing away prospects such as Stanton, Posey, Strasburg and catcher Carlos Santana of Cleveland? How has your roster suffered during the wait? Are you ready to start seeing dividends or fear you may have sacrificed precious roster spots for a chance at stardom?

Be sure to follow me on Twitter, too.

COSFBA Quick Poll: 05/21/2010

LAD

Who is your Quarter Season MVP?
	OF Ryan Braun MIL
	OF Andre Ethier LAD
	3B Evan Longoria TB
	OF Brett Gardner NYY
	SP Ubaldo Jimenez COL
	1B Justin Morneau MIN
	SP Roy Halladay PHI
	DH Vladimir Guerrero TEX
	OF Vernon Wells TOR
	SP Tim Lincecum SF
	Someone else

Use the "Comments" section to plead your case for someone on the list or if you think someone else deserves recognition. (I pulled this top-10 list from the ever-changing ESPN Player Rater.)

Box Score Beasts: 05/17/2010

LAD

Box Score Beasts will look at the top performers from tonight's games without much commentary. This page should give you a quick look at the players that had the most impact in their respective games.

• C Victor Martinez, BOS hit two solo home runs in five at-bats.
• 1B/3B Kevin Youkilis, BOS hit a two-run home run in the 8th inning to give the Red Sox the lead over the Yankees.
• 3B Alex Rodriguez, NYY hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the 9th of Jonathan Papelbon to tie the game at 9 and end Papelbon's save streak at 22 games.
• OF Marcus Thames, NYY hit a two-run, walk-off home run off Papelbon to give the Yankees the win.
• OF Corey Patterson, BAL stole two bases. Might be a source of some quick, cheap steals.
• 1B Ryan Howard, PHI was 3/5, 2 R, 6 RBI courtesy of a grand slam.
• OF Jayson Werth, PHI had a home run and four RBI.
• SP Kyle Kendrick, PHI pitched eight innings, allowing just five hits, two earned runs, one walk and struck out four to earn his second victory of the season.
• C Joe Mauer, MIN was 3/5 to raise his batting average to .360. His power numbers may not be there but this guy is a batting champ.
• 1B Justin Morneau, MIN was 3/4 with three runs, four RBI and two home runs. His batting average is now .374.
• OF Vernon Wells, TOR had three hits and is hitting .310 on the season. He continues to get it done.
• 3B/OF Jose Bautista, TOR hit his 11th homer of the season.
• OF Corey Hart, MIL hit two solo home runs.
• SP Johnny Cueto, CIN pitched seven innings, allowing seven hits, one earned run, one walk and seven strikeouts to earn his third win.
• SP Edwin Jackson, ARI pitched eight shut out innings, allowing just four hits, two walks while striking out 12 to earn his second win.
• SS Starlin Castro, CHC went 3/5 with his first stolen base while raising his batting average to .361.
• 3B Aramis Ramirez, CHC hit a walk-off two-run home run to beat Colorado.
• SS Ian Desmond, WAS was 4/4 with a run scored.
• 1B Albert Pujols, STL was 3/3 with two runs and a walk.
• C Yadier Molina, STL stole his fifth base of the season. That's impressive.
• 2B/3B Jose Lopez, SEA was 2/4 with three RBI and a stolen base.
• 1B Daric Barton, OAK was 3/3 with two runs, an RBI, a double and triple.
• 2B/3B Blake DeWitt, LAD was 2/4 with a run, two RBI and two triples.
• SP John Ely, LAD pitched seven innings, allowing five hits, two earned runs, zero walks with eight strikeouts to earn his second victory.
• SP Clayton Richard, SD pitched seven innings, allowing just three hits, one run, walking three and striking out five to earn his third win.
• SS Jason Bartlett, TB successfully executed a walk-off squeeze bunt to win the game.

Man, I loved digging through all of tonight's baseball games to find these top performers. Hopefully you won't have to do the same now that I've listed all the gems.

Ultimate Lineup: 04/19/2010

LAD

Ultimate Lineup will be a weekly column looking at the players currently ranked highest at their respective positions over the last week of action. I'll be using ESPN's Player Rater and Yahoo!'s current rankings to determine my starters and reserves based on position eligibility.

CATCHER

• Starter - Ivan Rodriguez, WAS (28% E; 37% Y!) - 10/21 (.476 BA), 7 R, 0 HR, 7 RBI, 1 SB
• Reserve - Bengie Molina, SF (91% E; 86% Y!) - 9/17 (.529 BA), 6 R, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 0 SB
• Reserve - Nick Hundley, SD (0.3% E; 2% Y!) - 5/16 (.313 BA), 4 R, 1 R, 6 RBI, 0 SB

FIRST BASE

• Starter - Ty Wigginton, BAL (3% E; 8% Y!) - 8/23 (.348 BA), 6 R, 4 HR, 10 RBI, 0 SB
• Reserve - Carlos Pena, TB (100% E; 93% Y!) - 7/24 (.292 BA), 6 R, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 1 SB
• Reserve - Michael Cuddyer, MIN (100% E; 88% Y!) - 9/24 (.375 BA), 4 R, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 0 SB

SECOND BASE

• Starter - Chase Utley, PHI (100% E; 99% Y!) - 7/21 (.333 BA), 8 R, 5 HR, 8 RBI, 0 SB
• Reserve - Ty Wigginton, BAL (3% E; 8% Y!) - 8/23 (.348 BA), 6 R, 4 HR, 10 RBI, 0 SB
• Reserve - Dan Uggla, FLA (100% E; 95% Y!) - 13/28 (.464 BA), 7 R, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 0 SB

THIRD BASE

• Starter - Ty Wigginton, BAL (3% E; 8% Y!) - 8/23 (.348 BA), 6 R, 4 HR, 10 RBI, 0 SB
• Reserve - Casey McGehee, MIL (90% E; 71% Y!) - 10/22 (.455 BA), 5 R, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 0 SB
• Reserve - Alberto Callaspo, KC (4% E; 25% Y!) - 9/27 (.333 BA), 4 R, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 1 SB

SHORTSTOP

• Starter - Derek Jeter, NYY (100% E; 98% Y!) - 11/22 (.500 BA), 5 R, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 0 SB
• Reserve - Yuniesky Betancourt, KC (2% E; 4% Y!) - 11/24 (.458 BA), 6 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 0 SB
• Reserve - Ryan Theriot, CHC (88% E; 57% Y!) - 8/28 (.286 BA), 4 R, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 4 SB

OUTFIELD

• Starter - Shin-Soo Choo, CLE (100% E; 96% Y!) - 11/19 (.579 BA), 5 R, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 1 SB
• Starter - Matt Kemp, LAD (100% E; 99% Y!) - 8/24 (.333 BA), 8 R, 4 HR, 8 RBI, 1 SB
• Starter - Jose Guillen, KC (60% E; 59% Y!) - 12/26 (.462 BA), 7 R, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 1 SB
• Reserve - Ryan Braun, MIL (100% E; 99% Y!) - 11/26 (.423 BA), 5 R, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 1 SB
• Reserve - Andre Either, LAD (100% E; 95% Y!) - 11/26 (.423 BA), 4 R, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 0 SB

STARTING PITCHER

• Starter - Adam Wainwright, STL (100% E; 98% Y!) - 17 IP, 1 CG, 2 QS, 2-0, 1.06 ERA, 0.76 WHIP, 5.33 K/BB, 8.47 K/9
• Starter - Ricky Romero, TOR (65% E; 72% Y!) - 16 IP, 2 QS, 1-1, 1.69 ERA, 0.63 WHIP, 4.50 K/BB, 10.13 K/9
• Starter - Matt Garza, TB (100% E; 94% Y!) - 16 IP, 2 QS, 2-0, 0.56 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 2.00 K/BB, 5.63 K/9
• Reserve - Andy Pettitte, NYY (77% E; 59% Y!) - 14 IP, 2 QS, 2-0, 1.29 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 1.67 K/BB, 6.43 K/9
• Reserve - Mike Pelfrey, NYM (7% E; 24% Y!) - 8 IP, 1 QS, 1-0, 1 SV, 0.00 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 6.00 K/BB, 6.75 K/9
• Reserve - Ubaldo Jimenez, COL (100% E; 98% Y!) - 9 IP, 1 CG, 1 QS, 0 H, 0.00 ERA, 0.67 WHIP, 1.17 K/BB, 7.00 K/9

RELIEF PITCHER

• Starter - Fernando Rodney, LAA (24% E; 48% Y!) - 3 IP, 0-0, 3 SV, 6.00 K/9
• Reserve - Jonathan Broxton, LAD (100% E; 98% Y!) - 4 IP, 1-0, 1 SV, 13.50 K/9
• Reserve - Rafael Soriano, TB (100% E; 92% Y!) - 4 IP, 0-0, 3 SV, 9.00 K/9
• Reserve - Mariano Rivera, NYY (100% E; 98% Y!) - 2 IP, 0-0, 3 SV, 13.50 K/9

Most of these players are owned in the majority of ESPN and Yahoo! leagues, but there definitely are waiver wire opportunities out there (Rodriguez, Guillen, Wigginton, Romero, Pettitte) to help improve your team(s). Smart, successful owners are always looking at the stats for the "last 7", "last 15" and the "last month" to see who's hot (and not) and where they can improve their team(s) off waivers.

Good luck assembling next week's Ultimate Lineup.