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Here are some recent baseball questions our experts have received, along with their responses:
No question, but just wanted to say Thank you for another successful season of fantasy baseball. Thank you for helping me win my 4th straight championship against my buddies! See you next year for #5.
Thanks for the gratitude. It is, without a doubt, our pleasure.
See you next year!
All the best,
Howard Bender
I'm looking for your thoughts on players to target for each position that under-performed last year, but because of past experience and/or injuries, will come at potential values for 2012. I am involved in a 10 team, 5x5 roto auction league that plays 1 catcher.
Thanks.
Doug
Doug --
C -- Joe Mauer is really the only notable under-performer that could turn things around this year. He's slipping a little in drafts, so he could be a decent bargain in the 7th or 8th round.
1B -- Ike Davis had injuries destroy his 2011 and he was looking real good to start the year. If people are judging just on last season's stats, he'll be a bargain.
2B -- Aaron Hill will probably be overlooked since his 1st half stats killed him. But he looked pretty strong once he settled down in Arizona.
SS -- Hanley, who else? I'm totally buying a comeback and the fact that he's slipping to early 2nd round makes him a bargain.
3B -- David Wright continues to slip a little in drafts, so he'll be a bargain. Also Martin Prado was ruined last year by a staph infection. Since it wasn't a major injury that affect the ability to play in the future, I like him at third.
OF -- Dunn, Heyward and Choo. I believe in all three making a strong comeback this season. If it's a keeper league, then go with Heyward.
As for pitchers, the position is so deep that there are plenty of bargains up and down the line. See how your league is valuing starters, but there are so many "bargains" in the third and fourth tier of the position that I wouldn't worry too much as there is plenty of talent, especially in a 10 team league.
Good luck!
Howard Bender
Hi Jeff Erickson,
I am part of a 6 team AL only 4x4 (BA, HR, RBI, SB, W, K, ERA,SV) $260 standard (14 Hitters, 9 Pitchers) auction keeper ($10 added each year) league. I can keep up to 7 players at the following prices – Carlos Santana (20), Miguel Cabrera (55), Brett Lawrie (10), Dustin Ackley (10), Eric Hosmer (10), Peter Bourjos (10), Howie Kendrick (19), Delmon young (16), Mike Moustakas (6), Jason Kipnis (10), Mike Trout (6), Matt Moore (10). Who would you keep? Thank you for any insight!
Because it's a six-team league, replacement value is ludicrously high. The key here is to find and hoard as much premium talent as possible. That means two things for you - high-priced stars are more valuable (because your fill-ins will be drawing from a pretty talented pool), and you can some chances on undeveloped talent, because they'll eventually evolve into elite talent, even when they aren't there yet. The flip side is it devalues league-average talent. A player like Delmon Young, for instance, isn't that valuable - chances are you can find someone equally talented, and probably cheaper in your draft.
Thus, I'd keep the following: Santana, Cabrera, Lawrie, Hosmer, Trout, Moore, and Kipnis. If you prefer to take the established guy in Kendrick, I wouldn't fault you, and I know that Kipnis vs. Ackley is still a verdict far from decided. So ... one of those three, whichever you like best.
Regards, Jeff Erickson
A question for David Regan from Mound Musing: I was ready to go with Volquez and Gio Gonzalez on my team in a salary cap format. After going through article I observed that very decent drop in salary I could choose Travis Wood over Volquez and save more cap going from Gio Gozalez to Tampa's Hellickson. You have both Wood and Hellickson in the 40 - 45 range while Volquez and Gio are 50 or over on your listing. With Wins = 10 points and Ks and IP = 1 point do these switches make sense. They save a decent amount of cap space to get a big bat in.
I'd go with Wood and Hellickson. I worry about Volquez's command issues and think overall Hellickson is the best of the four guys. That said, good luck forecasting who will win more games, as that's not something a pitcher can control 100%.
Good luck.
Dave Regan
5+5 nl Roto. How would u rank these possible keepers an who would b the odd men o
ut. We keep only 8. Obviously I'm keeping pujols holiday an carpenter.
Pujols 41
Holiday 37
Stewart 12
Upton 22
Barahas 03
Stubbs 10
Carpenter 10
Dickey 10
Cueto 14
Zimmerman 02
De la Rosa 03
Arroyo 12............ I also have David wright 43$. He's gonna b the only top 3rd baseman out there. I thought his price w a s a little high to k eep. Wondering
Inflation is going to drive up some of these prices quite a bit. For instance, your Pujols at $41 is underpriced by at least $10 in an 8-keeper format, maybe considerably more.
Here's who I'd keep after your three Cardinals:
- Justin Upton: No-brainer. Bad year for him, but the sky is the limit.
- Drew Stubbs: 25-50 potential someday.
- Jorge De La Rosa: Wicked stuff. Plus you need a cheap keep with your high-ticket guys.
- David Wright: I don't trust that Stewart is going to get a full-time run, thanks to the Rockies' offseason moves. I'd bite the bullet and pay full-price on Wright due to the inflation that will be in your league.
- Jordan Zimmaermann - Risky because of his injury history, but high ceiling, low cost. If you want to go safer, I'd choose Cueto.
Regards, Jeff Erickson
Hi There.
I have a "sell high" Strasburg trade. It is a keeper league so he has tremendous value right now. I am choosing between two offers. They both seem fair. Which do you like. It is a 4x4 league and I need help in everything, mainly my offense.
Offer 1:
I get D Wright, Marcum, Pappelbon and Pierre
Offer 2:
Fielder, J Vazques, M Rivera and Figgins
thanks!
It's really hard to evaluate either offer without knowing how many keepers you get to keep. Is it 4? 8? 12? Makes a huge difference. the more keepers you keep, the more attractive these offers are; the fewer you keep, the less attractive these trades are. The rationale should be clear - if you can't keep many players, you need to hoard your studs. Anyway, the second offer looks much better to me than the first, but the question, for me, is whether you'd actually be keeping guys like Vazquez and Figgins. Are they better keepers than who you'd be keeping in their place? Personally, I'd try to get someone like Miguel Cabrera - get an offensive stud rather than three mediocre keepers and one really good one.
Good luck
Mark Stopa
quick question..
keeper league, i drafed beckham, he busted
i have an offer on the table to get Utley and james shields for ubaldo jiminez, do i do it considering utleys 32, and ubaldo's 26??
I love Ubaldo (who doesn't), but this is a great example of a trade that I think you just have to do. Utley is a top ten fantasy player by any measure. And while Shields is no Ubaldo, he's at least an every-week fantasy starter. I like this a little less since it's a keeper league, but pitchers are riskier keepers anyway, and this trade is really lopsided in your favor this year IMHO.
Good luck
Mark Stopa
