Closers Looking Shaky on Opening Day

Already this season we've seen a few closers have less than impressive outings on opening day. We've already seen Huston Street blow a save in Japan against the Red Sox by giving up a home run to rookie Brandon Moss. I've been skeptical about Street since day one this year. He's coming off a number of injuries and has yet to prove he can be consistent and stay healthy. If Street can't compete up to standards this year the A's will be hurtin' for certain. Their backup closers consist of Alan Embree and Keith Foulke. Ouch. Neither of these guys are fantasy worthy players so if Street goes down they're aren't very good options for owners out there.

Last night Chad Cordero missed a save opportunity for the Nationals last night due to shoulder stiffness. This is not a very good sign for fantasy owners or the Nationals either. I think Cordero will be alright after he works through the stiffness. It might have just been a case of trying to do too much too soon. The bakckup in Washington, Jon Rauch, left much to be desired in place of Cordero last night. Keep a close eye on the situation here but it's not off to a very promising start in the bullpen in D.C.

Two closers blew opportunities in the same game today when the Brewers faced the Cubs. Eric Gange and Kerry Wood both blew their chances in the 9th inning for their teams. Wood hit a batter with the first pitch and then follow that up with 3 earned runs to give the Brewers a 3-0 lead. The Cubs answered right back against Gange in the bottom of the 9th with a 3 run home run from Kosuke Fukudome to tie the game. I wouldn't be too worried in Wood's situation. He was a little nervous and little jacked up for the game today. There was a lot of pregame hoopla surrounding the game today. He also was lights out in Spring Training so I think today was a freak occurrence. Gange on the other hand looked like he was more worried about how he looked than how he pitched. He spent more time hiking up the ridiculously baggy pants and untucked jersey and wiping off his foggy goggles than throwing strikes.

It's only the first day so let's not get too excited about all of these concerns and make a drastic move but keep an eye on these shaky situations.

Opening Day Aces in Mid-Season Form

Those who watched the Cubs vs. Brewers today were treated to a helluva pitcher's duel. The Brewers ace Ben Sheets and Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano had a classic opening day battle in the rain today at Wrigley Field. Both pitchers look to be in mid-season form keeping the opposing hitters off-balance all day today. Ben Sheets threw 99 pitches in 6 1/3 innings with 0 ER and only 2 BB and 2 HA while striking out 7. Sheets' fastball looked very good and his curveball was filthy at times. He gave up 2 hits to Kosuke Fukudome and Mark DeRosa took him to the wall a couple of times but other than those minor glitches he was outstanding. Zambrano was equally impressive throwing 89 pitches in 6 2/3 innings giving up no runs while striking out 5 and only allowing 3 hits and 1 BB. Zambrano left in the 7th inning with a cramp in his forearm which is nothing serious or unusual for him. Cubs fans know of Zambrano's affinity for playing hours of Guitar Hero and chatting online with his brother in Venezuela for 5 hours a day. He also doesn't like to drink water for whatever reason which doesn't help the cramping situation either. Yeah, he's a little out there but that's Big Z. So good news for fantasy owners of Sheets and Zambrano on opening day as we look for big seasons from both of these players.

Check Out a Great Site

There's a great site out there called www.fantasydope.com that's got a great format for finding fantasy articles. They search out articles and link them on their site and let me tell you that got a lot of articles to choose from. If you haven't checked them out, give it a shot. This is a site that can keep you busy all day. Lots of good stuff there. You can also find some of my articles on there as well.

Under the Tag

Week 1: March 30-April 6

For week one we’ll include the opening Sunday night game between the Nationals and the Braves. These are players in 10 or 12 team mixed leagues that were either drafted very late and sit on your bench or may be found on the waiver wire. For leagues that have daily transactions you may want to consider plugging some of these guys in to grab an extra SB or two during the week. Both the opposing catcher and pitcher are taken into consideration when looking at these options, as well as the number of games played in a particular day. Please note that as of this writing most of the probable starters for the week have not yet been set. Look for players facing Chris Young, Greg Maddux, and Dustin McGowan for some possible good speed matchups.
*Stat of the day: A.J. Burnett allowed 31 SB last year with zero CS and zero pickoffs.

Sunday, March 30: Braves-Nationals
Analysis- Lastings Milledge is a pretty obvious start, but being the night before the majority of the season starts you want to make sure you get him in your lineup and keep him there. I don’t give much credence to spring stats, but when people are running during the spring it’s a good sign and Milledge has 6 SB in the spring. Couple that with the fact that Brian McCann only threw out 21% of base stealers last year and you have a good combination.

Monday, March 31: Mets-Marlins
Analysis- The only two teams not playing today are the Red Sox and the A’s, so if you have Mark Ellis, Julio Lugo, Bobby Crosby, or Dustin Pedroia in your middle infield, see if Luis Castillo of the Mets is available. Mike Rabelo was supposed to be the Marlins starting catcher, but will start the year on the DL, while his back up, Matt Treanor only throws out 14% of attempted base stealers.

Tuesday, April 1: Giants-Dodgers
Analysis- Get to know Eugenio Velez of the Giants. If your SS or MI is off today, plug him in. He has 14 stolen bases this spring and stole four bases last September in only 11 at bats. With the average age of the Giants infield approaching 50 and Kevin Frandsen out with a torn achilles’ tendon, he should see plenty of playing time.

Wednesday, April 2: All teams in action

Thursday, April 3: Blue Jays-Yankees
Analysis- Jorge Posada allowed the third most stolen bases of any catcher last year, behind only Josh Bard and Jason Kendall. Hanley Ramirez and Jose Reyes are both off today so see if David Eckstein is available, and if you have room take a shot.

Friday April 4, Saturday April 5, Sunday April 6: All teams in action

Under the Tag

In most drafts and auctions the catcher position is virtually ignored and there is a premium on speedsters. One category studs like Jose Reyes can go as high as #2, while most catchers will be drafted after round 12. So what is the relationship between insignificant catchers and the coveted stolen base category? In a standard 5x5 league all that matters from a catcher is his offense. When deciding who to start for your fifth outfielder or your middle infielder however, the opposing catcher and even pitcher can make a big difference in a counting category like stolen bases and should not be ignored.

Obviously this information should be used only for the players that you would normally switch in and out of your lineup or when you’re looking to fill a hole on a Monday or Thursday game. For example, suppose your choice for fifth outfielder is between Randy Winn and a healthy Gary Matthews Jr. (he’s having ankle problems right now). The Giants are playing the Padres, whose catchers Josh Bard and Michael Barrett throw out only 11% of attempted base stealers. The Angels are playing Seattle whose catcher Kenji Johjima throws out nearly 47% of runners. Well the choice here is clear, start Randy Winn over Gary Matthews Jr. if steals are what you’re after.

Not to be forgotten are the pitchers who are easy to run on (Greg Maddux is infamous for ignoring runners on first base) and those who keep a close eye on the runners. There are many other factors to consider when chasing stolen bases such as injury, managerial style, and place in the batting order. If you pay attention to positive matchups, which we will look at throughout the season, it may just give you the edge you need in that category.

Everyone in your league knows who the best stolen base guys are, but in a 26 week season, if you could look at the catcher-pitcher matchups each week and grab even one extra SB it’s possible you could gain 26 more stolen bases, or half the SB production of a Carl Crawford type player. Last year one of my leagues had four teams finish within 13 stolen bases of each other, or 1 SB every other week. Four teams also finished within 6 total points of each other at the end of the season.

Based on 2007 stats, with current teams, the top 5 (hardest to run on) and the bottom 5 catchers (easiest to run on) for CS% (based on one half the teams’ games started) are:

The Best Catchers

1. Yadier Molina – STL (54%)

2. Joe Mauer – MIN (53%)

3. Kenji Johjima – SEA (47%)

4. Gerald Laird – TEX (40%)

5. Chris Snyder – ARI (36%)

The Worst Catchers

1. Josh Bard – SD (8 %)

2. Johnny Estrada – WAS (13%)

3. Jason Kendall – MIL (13%)

4. Michael Barrett – SD (16%)

5. Yorvit Torrealba – COL (20%)

-The Warden

Impact Free Agents

There are a few free agents out there in most leagues right now that I really like. These are some guys that could help you if you're looking for someone to fill that last spot on your roster. The players listed here are mostly for people in deeper mixed leagues or AL/NL only leagues. If you don't need a player right now, keep your eye on these guys.

-Asdrubal Cabrera-2B-CLE- A lot of people are kind of low on Cabrera mainly because we haven't seen much from him yet. I like what I've seen from him so far. He's in, Josh Barfield is out. He's not owned in many leagues so if you're looking for a 2B/MI he might be your guy. This spring he's hit .313 with 3 HR and 6 RBI to go with 11 R in 15 games. Those are pretty good numbers but it's only 15 games. However, he's yet to show that he can't hit which is a good start.

-Jorge Cantu-1B/3B-FLA- I've always seen potential in Cantu. If you've ever watched him play you know he can swing the bat. He's won the 3B job for the Marlins and I think he can help out. I think he can be a nice CI or U guy in deep leagues and I've got him on my NL only team. Injuries and lack of playing time have slowed down his progress but I'm counting on a full time job to rejuvenate him. He's still only 26 years old and he's 4th overall in spring batting average at .397.

-Mike Hampton-SP-ATL-Yep, he's back. He's always been a good pitcher but injuries have decimated his career. He's got a spot in the rotation in Atlanta and is as healthy as he's been in a long time. He's tearing up the Spring to with a 1.98 ERA. He doesn't strikeout many but he can provide W's and a pretty good ERA and WHIP. He's definitely worth a pickup in NL only leagues and good help out in deep mixed leagues as well.

Welcome Our New Writer!

Hey guys, I'd like to welcome our new writer Ward Pettenger. Ward is the Cappo of Fantasy Baseball Mafia League 25 which is the league I'm in. Ward's been playing fantasy baseball for a while now and he's got some interesting ideas for his articles. It will be a nice change of pace for the site to get a different perspective to share with the readers. Ward's first article will appear here on Friday so be sure to check him out in his debut and throughout the season. I'm looking forward to it.

What to do with Your Catcher Position

I know, we all hate it. The catcher position in fantasy baseball. Most of them kill your BA, give you no SB, and are mediocre in R, HR, and RBI. When it comes to drafting a catcher, that's my point. Aside from the top 5 guys, the rest are all jumbled up together in one big mess. So how can we sort through all of this? The top 5 guys are clearly defined as Victor Martinez, Russell Martin, Joe Mauer, Brian McCann, and Jorge Posada. These players will all get you above average stats for the position. That's great for the five owners who drafted these guys but what about the rest of us? Here is my stance on catchers in fantasy baseball. Only five owners will have an advantage on you at that position. The rest of the league tries to fill the position with the guy[s] they like the best out of the rest. Let's start with your draft. I save my catcher picks for the last few rounds of the draft. Besides the guys that pick the top 5, I'm going to be competing with the other owners who didn't get them. To me, to take a catcher in the first 15 rounds is a waste of a pick. Why? In these rounds, there are plenty of guys at other positions that are going to get you better stats than those catchers. Lets say you take Victor Martinez with your 3rd round pick and you are going to start him at catcher. You're betting on Martinez to get you 25+ HR and 100 RBI. So you got that with your 3rd round pick, good for you. I got that in my 4th round pick when I drafted Troy Tulowitski and I spent my 3rd round pick on Lance Berkman who will get better numbers than Martinez will. Listen people, it doesn't matter from which position you're getting the numbers, the numbers count the same no matter what position you're getting them from. Catcher is the one position that I don't care about it's position scarcity because there are only five really good ones.

What I like to do is to wait until the end of the draft and get the catcher that I think is the next young thing, who I think will break out, or who won't just kill me in BA. For example, in '06 I drafted Brian McCann in the 20th round of a draft. He breaks out. In '06 I drafted Russell Martin in the last round of a draft. He breaks out. This is the value that I'm looking for in my catcher. I want a guy who has a chance to put up really good numbers that I can get in the last few rounds of a draft.

Here are some of the guys that I'm looking for to have breakout seasons:
1. Geovany Soto-CHC
2. Kurt Suzuki-OAK
3. Ryan Doumit-PIT
4. J.R. Towles-HOU
5. Carlos Ruiz-PHI
7. Ronny Paulino-PIT
8. Dioner Navarro-TB
9. Chris Snyder-ARI
10. Yadier Molina-STL

Some of these guys may be going higher than I like them at. It all depends how many catchers are off the board. If you can get 1 or 2 of these guys in rounds 17 and beyond, you're going to be just fine. Remember, catchers suck in fantasy, all you can do is get the best you can out of it and never over value the position.

My Most Overrated Player

One of the topics from our panel on Monday's Wire Tap was that Tony wanted to know who our most overrated player is. The answer is very easy for me...Chone Figgins. I'm not saying he is a bad player. I'm not saying that he doesn't do good things. I'm just saying that this year is very overrated. SportingNews.com has him rated no. 72 overall and his average draft position is 67th overall. This is just way too high for me. Let's take a look at his stats from last year. In 115 games last season he hit .330 with 3 HR, 58 RBI, and 41 SB. That's pretty good in 115 games. But is that an aberration or can he do it again? I'm guessing it's the former rather than the latter. His previous high BA for a season was .296 in '04. In '06 he hit .268. How did he raise his batting average over 60 points in one season? To count on him for another .330 season this year is a stretch to say the least. His career BA is .292 and that's where I think he'll end up around this year. So basically people are drafting a guy in the fifth or sixth round and hoping he'll get them 60 steals. Here's the thing, his steals have gone down the last two seasons. He went from 62 SB in '05 to 52 in '06 and then to 41 in '07. I know what he was on pace for in '07 but it didn't happen.

Here is my argument against Figgins and his draft position. He plays at the deepest position in fantasy baseball, third base. There are plenty of other options for you out there and you don't need to waste a 5th round pick on a guy that will contribute in one or two (runs being the other) categories for you. If people are drafting him at 67 overall that means that they are passing on guys like Ryan Zimmerman, Mike Lowell and Alex Gordon all guys who will get you better numbers in different categories. Let's take Alex Gordon for example. I love the pick of Gordon this year. I'm seeing 22 HR, 85 RBI, and 23 SB from him this year. This is a guy that you can get in rounds 10-12. Now Gordon will get you more HR and RBI plus about half of the steals that Figgins will get you. So instead of picking Figgins at 3B and going with Gordon you've got yourself a player who will cover three categories for you instead of two as Figgins does.

Here is my other argument against Figgins. You want a guy that will get you 60 SB. That's fine, who wouldn't. However, there is no reason to draft that guy in the fifth round at the deepest position in baseball. You want a guy with 60 SB? I don't think it's going to be Figgins getting you 60 SB this year. How about getting Juan Pierre a few rounds later that FOR SURE will get you 60. Or you can go with a guy like Shane Victorino that will get you over 15 HR, around 70 RBI and 50 SB that you can get in the 7th or 8th round.

Tony Cincotta mentioned that there is a premium on SB this year and that people don't mind overpaying for them. I mind overpaying period. Especially when there are so many cheap sources of steals out there. I like to stock up on my SB late in the draft by grabbing guys like Kaz Matsui, Ryan Theriot, Michael Bourn, and Luis Castillo. These are guys that will hit around .300 and get you 30 steals. They are also guys you can get in rounds 18 and on. A couple of the other guys on the panel Monday argued for Figgins draft status and I respect their opinions, everyone of them. He's just not my type of player.

Bottom line is guys, don't overpay for anything if you don't have to. I want a lot more out of my 5th round pick than what Chone Figgins is giving me.

Great Success!

As my man Borat would say, the Wire Tap show from 3/24 was a "great success"! It really was a very interesting show with lots of different opinions from different experts. It was a lot of fun and very informative. Follow the links I have on the site to check it out if you haven't already done so.

Cath me on Fantasy Baseball Mafia's Wire-Tap Tonight at 9:30 ET!!!

I'll be appearing on the Fantasy Baseball Mafia's Wiretap radio show/podcast tonight at 9:30 ET. I'll be joining a panel of fantasy experts do discuss a range of topics and we will be making our '08 predictions. Tony Cincotta will be the host/moderator for what should be a very entertaining broadcast. Check it out live at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Wire-Tap or download the podcast at http://www.fantasybaseballmafia.com/wiretap. I apologize for no posts this weekend. I hope to get a couple out there tomorrow before the show or after it. Make sure you tune in.

Chris Mulligan

Still Looking for a Writer

I'm still looking for someone to write articles on the weekends. A have a few guys I'm considering right now but if you want to throw your name into the hat, you have until Wednesday this week to be considered. I'm looking for guys that are winners with strong writing skills and who is hungry to write. Send me your emails with a sample article to be considered. Let's see what you got!

Chris Mulligan

Out with the Old

Old players. There's little room on my team for old players. Especially old often injured players. While I avoid them like the plague others have no problem slotting them right in their starting lineups. While I completely respect every one of these players for what they've done in the game, their time has passed. I'm looking for new blood. I'm going to try to convince to stay away from these players who are clearly on the downside of their careers. They may be tempting but you just can't trust them. All of these players will most likely miss time this season and they just are not worth the hassle.

1. Carlos Delgado-1B-NYM- The once mighty Delgado's body is breaking down very quickly. He missed the majority of the year for the Mets when they needed him most. He's hurt now and will be hurt again during the season. He slips late in drafts but there is no value here. I'm predicting nothing but disappointed for those who draft him. He'll get you 20 HR if you're lucky. You can do better.

2. Troy Glaus-3B-STL- What can I say about this guy. Disappointment every season. I can't remember the last time a player that made so much missed so much time due to injury. It's every year guaranteed. Like Delgado, hit may hit 20 HR but 3B is so deep, there is no need to mess around with Glaus even if you get him crazy late.

3. Scott Rolen-3B-TOR- I know he's not that old but he plays like he is. Here's another guy whose body is breaking down rapidly. He's a big guy and it really looks like he has trouble getting around. The artificial turf in Toronto isn't going to do him any favors either. I see the DH position in the near future for Rolen. Maybe he gets 18 HR and 80 RBI this year while missing at least 30 games.

4. Jason Schmidt-SP-LAD- I shouldn't have to say much here. Why are you drafting him? He's done. I saw it coming too. He pitched a lot of innings for a lot of years. It seemed like as soon as he went to the Dodgers he was doomed. Instead of wasting a pick on him late in the draft, take a guy that could get you 13 wins like Shaun Marcum or Franklin Morales.

5. Randy Johnson-SP-ARI- A lot of people think Randy Johnson still has another good season left in the tank. I just don't see it. He starting breaking down before Schilling, Clemens, Glavine and Maddux. There is some upside with Johnson but it's not enough for me to waste a pick on. There is a high probability of him going on the DL again this year. Give Ubaldo Jiminez over Randy Johnson all day.

6. Troy Percival-TB-RP- He will probably end up starting out as closer for the Rays and there will probably be some saves there. He took a year off and barely pitched at all last year. To think that he can go the whole season and keep his closer role is stretching it. I'd rather take one of the young closers out there like Soria or Brian Wilson.

7. Eric Chavez-3B-OAK- Washed up waste of a pick. He's not old either but he's still got no spot on my team. There is no upside here. He will never hit for big power again and has never hit for average. There's no doubt he'll end up injured at some point and you'll have to drop him. I never liked him and I guess it was for good reason. Do me a favor, instead of taking Chavez give Mark Reynolds or Josh Fields a shot.

8. Moises Alou-OF-NYM- He's one of my favorite players of all time but I'm sorry to say he's done for. He can still hit over .300 at age 42 which is amazing. His power has dropped off considerably and he just can't stay healthy. He's going to be out for a while and he's not worth a pick this year. Thanks for the good years Mo but I'm through with you.

9. Jason Giambi-DH-NYY- He's basically a part time player. He's injured so much that his value in AL only leagues is low. Besides only being able to use him at Utility you're going to have to find another one a month into the season. Get a good young promising player and forget about this chunky bug eyed freak.

10. Gary Sheffield-DH-DET- He's the guy with the most potential on this list but it's hard to say what he's going to do this year. I can't see him playing a full season and if I have any doubts about health I stay away. I want a guy I can depend on and I'm not sure Sheff is my guy anymore. He's a DH with declining skills. Plenty of players with more value and upside out there when Sheffield goes off the board.

My Top Overrated and Underrated Players

As in every draft there are overrated and underrated players this season. Some guys develop into sexy names that everyone wants a piece of and not so sexy names that become steals. The thing about it is that you want to try to stay away from names period. You look at the stats and where the player is in his career. There are a lot of players that are very young that are overvalued every draft and the proven players are left there late. I'm going to lay out for you some the player's draft trends that I've seen recently and some I've seen all season long.

Overrated

1. Russell Martin-C-LAD- For whatever reason people still draft catchers in the 1-3 rounds. First of all, as a catcher for 12 years let me tell you, catchers wear down during the season and in the long term. Martin is going to have a hard time producing the numbers he did last year. Don't get me wrong, I love the guy. However, I would never pick him in the first five rounds. Use that pick to get a 30 HR guy who will get you better numbers than Martin across the board. Besides the top four catchers, everyone else is nearly the same. Get better numbers at a stronger position and get the edge there.

2. Bobby Abreu-OF-NYY- I don't know if it's because he's a Yankee but the guy is still being drafted in the first five rounds this year. To me it's amazing. The guy is clearly on the down side of his career and still gets picked in the fourth round. To think that he can get almost 100 RBI and steal 25 bases this year is a stretch. I like Abreu but I like him in the 7th or 8th round. This may be the last semi-productive year you get out of him.

3. Clay Buchholz-SP-BOS- I love his potential for the future but he won't do much this year. Yet, people keep drafting him in the 10th or 12th round thinking he will win 15 games. It's just not going to happen. It's looking more and more like he'll start the season in Triple A. Please don't waste a pick on Buchholz when you could have had Matt Cain, Rich Hill, Ted Lilly, James Shields or Yovani Gallardo.

4. Evan Longoria-3B-TB- Again, the future is bright as hell for this guy too but probably not this year. Look at how Alex Gordon struggled last year after people wasted a 12th round pick on him. Don't do it again this year. It now looks as if he'll start in Triple A as well. I'd much rather get a guy like Alex Gordon this year or Josh Fields, Edwin Encarnacion or Kevin Kouzmanoff. These are young players with at least one year of big league ball under their belt and who will all improve this year. They are also assured starting jobs, something which Longoria does not have and you can get them around the time Longoria goes or even later.

5. Daisuke Matsuzaka-SP-BOS- I try to stay away from Dice-K when I can. The reason being is because he basically only gets you two categories. People are depending on him to get his ERA and WHIP down but I'm not sure how much he is going to improve those stats. So in the 8th or 9th round people are drafting a guy who will only get W's and K's. I just don't see the logic, you tell me. It's too early for me in the draft to start blowing my ERA and WHIP.

Underrated

1. Manny Ramirez-OF-BOS- The only reason I'm not drafting him in the 2nd round is because I know I can get him in the 3rd or 4th. After one injury hampered season people are avoiding him. He has 2nd round worthy potential that he will most likely to get back to this year. If you get a shot at getting him, take it. I don't think Manny plans on disappointing two years in a row.

2. Joe Nathan-RP-MIN- He has one of the best ERAs and WHIPs in the league yet he is getting passed by round after round. I know the Twins are going to have hard times winning games this year but so did the Nationals last year and Chad Cordero was still able to get 36 saves. Nathan will help you in four categories and you can't get him later in this year's draft than the last few years. I think he is a steal this year.

3. Alex Gordon-3B-KC- I really think Gordon can get 20/20 this year and hit about .280 for you and you can get him in the 10-12 rounds. Due to such a deep 3B position, most people are not looking at Gordon to be their starting 3B and he drops down the board. He can also fill in at 1B in a pinch. Gordon is only going to get better and don't be surprised to see him bust out this year because I told you so.

4. Rafael Soriano-RP-ATL- For years the Braves have struggled with trying to find the right guy to close out games. I think they finally got it in Soriano. For years he has been one of the league's best setup men and now he'll get the chance to close games full time this year on a good team. Soriano can be had in about the 13th round and I think it's a huge bargain. He'll keep the ERA and WHIP down and maybe get you 35 S from a mid round pick. You could do a lot worse.

5. James Loney-1B-LAD- The more and more I look at Loney, I think he's a great pick. I think he's the perfect CI or Utility player for your team and if you want to wait until the 11th round to get a 1B you can get him there. I think he can hit over .300 20 HR and 85 RBI this year which is not bad for where he's going. People might be upset if they ended up with him as their starting 1B but if you got him in the 12th round your should be happy as hell.

Oh man, don't get me started on overrated, underrated. I could go all day. There are plenty of others that belong on these lists but these are the top guys I see this year.

Roto League Strategies

I'm sitting here today thinking about my article on winning CBS H2H and I thought I might as well lay out for you my strategies in roto leagues. Now most people go into a roto league draft trying to win every category. Some people go into the draft wanting to compete in every category. Some people go into a draft trying to win every offensive category or every pitching category. What I try to do is dominate about four categories and be above average in the rest. The categories I like to control are R, HR, RBI, and WHIP. I spend a good part of my draft stocking up on 100 R, 30 HR, 100 RBI guys and pitchers with a WHIP under 1.25. If I can get 12 points in all of those categories and get 7,8,9 from the others, I'm a happy guy. The thing is you don't want to dominate these categories too much. You don't want to be too far ahead an any categories late in the year. This means that you spent too much on that category that could have gone to use in another.

Do you know what happens to people that try to win every category? They wind up being average in all of them. They might get a couple of 10's in certain categories, maybe even an 11 in one, but that's not going to compete when I have four 12's. The guys who try to just compete in every category end up being extremely average with 7's and 8's across the board. The guys who trying to win all hitting and all pitching end up being to poor in the other categories and can't contend.

People think you need a bunch of 5 tool guys on your team. While having a 5 tool guy is certainly nice you don't need to try to cover every category with every pick. You can get SB cheap and late in drafts, same thing with HR. I stock up on my huge 30 HR, 100 RBI guys early and get steals cheap and late. Then for my pitchers, I get a bunch of good WHIP guys who are undervalued or the John Maine, Tim Lincecum, Rich Hill guys in the 10-14 rounds who will keep me above average in the rest of the categories.

Now this didn't work for me in my Fantasy Baseball Mafia League 25 draft. The draft dictates your strategy not the other way around. In that draft, all of the big hitters where going early. I couldn't get many of the 30 HR, 100 RBI guys that I wanted. But while hitters going early I was stocking up on some of the best pitchers in the league. So my team is a little reversed this year. I have WHIP, K, hopefully W's, and SB locked up. Yet, I still was able to stay above average in rest of my categories. I'm a little worried because it's not my normal looking team but I think a very good one nonetheless.

Listen guys, I'm not telling you that what I say is going to win you your league. I'm telling you what has worked for me and what would be my advice for you. I'm not saying this is the way that it has to be. I'm simply trying to give you my opinions and some options you can look into.

How to Win Your CBS Sportsline H2H League Pt. 2

I told you guys that I would post my roster from my CBS H2H draft. This will let you see my strategy in action. This is the kind of team that I have winning every year in CBS H2H. This is a ten team league. I don't have full draft results because it was a live draft and I wasn't trying to write all that down. Here's my league winning draft this year.



Round Pick Player Position

1 3 Ryan Howard 1B
2 18 Vlad Guerrero OF
3 23 Alfonso Soriano OF
4 38 Troy Tulowitski SS
5 43 Aramis Ramirez 3B
6 58 Aaron Harang SP
7 63 Dan Uggla 2B
8 78 Brett Myers SP
9 83 Takashi Saito P
10 98 Chad Billingsley SP
11 103 John Maine P
12 118 Tim Lincecum SP
13 123 Jason Bay OF
14 138 Jeff Francis SP
15 143 Josh Hamilton OF
16 158 Alex Gordon 3B/1B
17 163 Dustin McGowan SP
18 178 Zach Grienke SP
19 183 Geovany Soto C
20 198 Ubaldo Jimenez SP
21 203 Joakim Soria RP
22 218 Lastings Milledge OF
23 223 Shaun Marcum SP

Get your big points with power guys early. Pitchers in the middle and late rounds. Bench players as your sleepers. This is how I win CBS Sportsline H2H every year.

Draft Day Steals #3

Here is the third and final edition of my Draft Day Steals for 2008. I've got a couple of mid to late round sleepers as well as a few of my deep sleepers. These are the guys that add depth to your squads and can help you win your league.

J.J. Hardy-SS-MIL- I love the power potential of Hardy. I know he was on a torrid pace early last year and tapered off in the second half. However, I think he is going to be more consistent this season and should give you solid production from a weak SS position. If I don't get a SS in the first four rounds, I will wait and try and get Hardy later. He usually comes off the board in rounds 12-14. I love him as a cheap source of power here late in these rounds. In roto leagues, if you already have your SS locked up, Hardy would make a great MI for you. I'm prediction another 25 HR for him this year. That's a solid pick in the 13th round.

Manny Corpas-RP-COL- I don't think he was a fluke last year and neither do the Rockies having just signed him to a big contract extension. Having already gotten a top 10 closer, I love getting Corpas as my no. 2. Last year he had 19 Saves with a 2.07 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP. If he can get to 35 Saves and keep the ERA and WHIP low he is a steal in rounds 12-15.

Zach Greinke-SP-KC- I love Greinke's potential and last year he started to show us what kind of pitcher he could be. He was supposed to be the Royals' ace two years ago but it just didn't happen. This is the year he could do it. In rounds 18-21 when there isn't much pitching left available, Greinke could be the best option out there. Grienke could win 13-15 games this year while keeping his ERA under 4.00 and his WHIP around 1.25.

Joakim Soria-RP-KC- I have Soria ranked just under Corpas this year and you can usually get him a couple of rounds later. If you already have a no.1 closer then Soria would make a viable no. 2 option. If he's your no. 3 closer, you're in great shape in that department. He usually goes in rounds 15-17 and if you get him there you're getting great value.

Franklin Morales-SP-COL- The young lefty is one of the best pitching prospects in the majors and has a legitimate shot to earn Rookie of the Year honors this season. He was able to get 3 Wins with an ERA of 3.43 and a 1.22 WHIP in almost 40 innings pitched. I love getting this guy in rounds 20-23 of the draft. I've also seen him go undrafted in several leagues and if he's available in your league, go get him now. I think Morales will win about 13 games this year and have an ERA around 3.50 and a WHIP around 1.20. Not bad in the 23rd round.

Ryan Theriot-SS-CHC- Theriot is a streaky hitter but I think he can be a .290-.300 hitter in this league. He tends to go in long slumps where he swings at bad pitches early in the count. If he can gain some consistency this year he could be a top 12 SS. You won't get any power numbers from him but he can drive in 60 for you. His value is his SB potential. He got 28 SB last year and if he can get on base a little more this year he could get 35. I love having him as my MI and you're not totally screwed if he is your starting SS. I love his value in rounds 20-23.

Shaun Marcum-SP-TOR- I have been a proponent of getting Dustin McGowan late in drafts. Now he is almost going to early in drafts and is gaining popularity while losing his sleeper status. Another guy on the Blue Jays who goes unheralded is Marcum. He had pretty respectable numbers in his first full season as a starter for the Jays. He doesn't strikeout as many as McGowan but the ERA and WHIP are nearly the same. I like Marcum to improve on his respectable '07 numbers and become a solid no. 5 or 6 starter for owners this year. I've seen him go in rounds 20-23 but closer to around round 20. I love this potential for value here late in the draft when not many pitching options are available.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

I was so excited to write my article on winning CBS H2H I almost forgot wish all my Irish brethren a happy St. Patrick's day. Today is a day to honor our heritage and ancestors and to remember the man that helped bring our homeland to the light. Celebrate, have fun, and be careful! Erin Go Bragh!

How to Win Your CBS Sportsline H2H League

The CBS Sportsline Head to Head leagues are getting more popular every year. Its really my favorite league to play in and they're sort of my specialty. Every year that I have played in a CBS H2H league I have won at least one of those leagues and in some years I've won multiple leagues. I have a certain strategy that I use while I'm drafting that goes a long way to helping me win the league. The first thing you need to know is what the rules are for your league. Most leagues follow the standard scoring system but some commissioners like to tweak the scoring some so you need to be sure of how it works. My leagues follow the standard scoring system except that we don't lose a point when a hitter strikes out. In these leagues, power wins. A lot of guys want to stock up on top tier starting pitchers but you win CBS H2H leagues with power hitters. Don't get me wrong, you want good pitchers on your team but you don't want to waste picks on them early. Again people, power hitters win you these leagues.

OK, so it's time to draft your team. What I like to do with my first 4-5 rounds is to get 30+ HR 100+ RBI hitters. Now this depends on a few certain things that must happen. If pitchers start going like crazy in the third and fourth rounds (as they did in my draft) you can still follow this strategy and win. However, I've learned that at least one of the top ten pitchers is nice to have on your squad. Here's scenario one: First four rounds go smooth and no one goes pitcher crazy. You use your first four picks on big hitters. I like to get one of the top SS and/or 2B with my first four picks. If you have a top five pick, I like either H. Ramirez, Reyes, or Rollins there. I like Utley around the 8-10 range. Lets say you go SS with the first round pick, then I would look for either Brandon Phillips in round 2 or B.J. Upton/Robinson Cano in rounds 3 or 4. Say you go with a position other than SS in the first round then I like to get Troy Tulowitski in the fourth round. So lets say you get your SS and 2B top four picks. The other spots should be 1B, 3B, and/or OF. Scenario two is if pitchers start going like crazy then you may want to use your 4th round pick on a top pitcher or get one with your 5th round pick if you think the guy you want will be there.

I like to use my 5th pick to get my top starting pitcher. In round 5 you can usually come across guys like Carlos Zambrano, Cole Hamels, or Aaron Harang that you can get your hands on. I'll sometimes use my 6th round pick to get another SP depending on how much hitting is still available. If there is still good hitting left available I'll get my 6th round pitcher and get hitters in rounds 7 and 8. After round 8 you should have 6 hitters and 2 starting pitchers. So you have 2/3 of your starting offense complete with power and a nice 1-2 combo at the top of your rotation. My ninth and tenth round picks vary. I may go with the top RP available unless there is still depth left at that position. I also may go with another SP here again depending on the depth left. I'm definitely using one of these two picks to add to my already stellar offense. It's usually my third OF who again will hit me 30 HR and 100 RBI. I'll use the other pick on my closer or another starter. Here's the thing with closers in these leagues. You only need one to start every week. I like to get a top ten closer that I will start every week no matter what. Then I fill up the rest of my pitching staff for the week with two start pitchers and my top 1 or 2 pitchers if they have only one start or I find the best match ups. If you have quality pitchers with two starts that week, you want them in the lineup. Unless a closer gets 5 saves that week, the guy with two starts is most likely going to get more points for you. I sometimes will draft only one closer but it's nice to have a closer you can get late for a backup in case of injury.

In rounds 10-14 is where I build my pitching staff. This where I stock up on young primed breakout pitchers or just solid 2nd/3rd tier guys. This is where I get guys like Chad Billingsley, Rich Hill, Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum, Adam Wainwright, Dustin McGowan, Phil Hughes, Ted Lilly, John Maine, Jeff Francis, or Jared Weaver. If you get three or four of these guys plus your top two, you are good to go. I might throw another hitter in the mix to solidify every position except for your Utility position. So after round 14 you should have 7 or 8 out of 9 starting hitters and 5 SP and 1 RP. So you have 6 of your 7 possible pitching rotation starters. If you have this, you are on your way to having the best draft in your league. The rest of the draft if crucial to your success and is entirely up to you and your knowledge of the players. I usually spend my 15th round pick on my utility player or 6th SP. I usually have my utility player be my top sleeper hitter who I think is going to have a big season. If he's not there or you can wait on him, get the best hitter available. The rest of the draft you should use to get your sleepers or the best player available. When it comes to drafting a catcher, I get mine in the 17th round and beyond. Aside from the top 5 catches everyone is basically the same. I get one of the rest who I think will have the best year. Drafting a guy like Russell Martin and Victor Martinez is risky. Get a player at a different position who will get you better numbers like Manny Ramirez, Garrett Atkins, or Aramis Ramirez.

When it comes to bench spots, it depends on how many roster spots your league has. For the most part I know my hitters are going to stay healthy and play all year. That's the advantage to having better hitting than everyone else. Pitchers are more prone to injury and inconsistency than hitters. In leagues with 23 or 24 roster spots I like to have two offensive bench players and the other 5 bench spots as pitchers. My two bench hitters are usually guys that I think are going to bust out and have huge seasons that I can possible use as trade bait to fill a hole later in the season. I like a lot of pitchers on my bench because I like having as many possible two start pitchers on my team any given week.

The is my strategy for success in H2H leagues. I'm not saying that this is the way it should be done. I'm saying that this formula has won me H2H leagues 5 years in a row and that if you use this strategy and do it right, you can win too. Remember it's not all about the draft. You have to make the right waiver wire moves as well. Injuries and suspensions happen and you have to be ready to react. In the next day or two, I will post on here the results of my live CBS H2H draft that me and my friends did on Saturday. I also have another one on Sat. the 29th that I can post on here as well. Good luck guys.

Looking For One Writer

I'm looking for one writer to write a couple of articles on the weekends. I'm extremely busy right now with family, school, and work. I'm looking for a very skilled writer who can bring quality insightful articles to a website that is growing in popularity. If this sounds like something you want to do and something you know you can do then apply to me by email. Write me one article of quality stuff and you will be considered. I want a proven winner and a guy who knows his stuff. Bring your A-game boys. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Chris Mulligan

The Guy Nobody's Talking About

I love it when nobody is talking about a talented young player. It means he's underrated. Jeff Francoeur is well known for being a very good young hitter but nobody is talking about him. Its like people forgot he exists. I really like Francoeur to have a big season this year. Remember guys, he's only 24 years old. He learned how to hit for contact last year ending up with a .293 BA compared to .259 the year before. However, he still managed to strike out over 100 times. He came into the league knowing how to hit for power and he learned how to hit for average last year. Now he's will be trying to do both and I think he can put it together. His power dropped off from 29 HR in 2006 to 19 last year. I think the power is coming back this year. He learned how to hit the ball the other way last year and I think that's where his power is. I watched a little bit of a Spring Training game the Braves played last week they were discussing the power drop off. Francoeur said part of it was that he hit the wall nine times. So, the power hasn't gone anywhere. He usually gets drafted in rounds 8-10 and I think he's got 6 or 7th round talent. He can slip two rounds after another one of my value picks Brad Hawpe and Francoeur can get numbers just as good with the potential for better. It's not uncommon to see Delmon Young, Hideki Matsui, Gary Sheffield, Nick Swisher, Jason Bay, Andruw Jones, and Jermaine Dye all go ahead of Francoeur who I like better than all of those guys. I love his long term potential and his potential for this season. This year I think he can hit 25 HR with 110 RBI while hitting around .290. I think in a few years he can hit 35 HR and drive in 125. If you can get him in the 10th round, you got yourself a steal.

2008 Closer Rankings

OK, I'm done procrastinating with the Closer Rankings. I've been putting it off to do what I feel are more meaningful articles but some people want to know my rankings so here they are. The type of closer you want depends what king of a league you're in. In roto leagues closers shouldn't be used just for getting saves. You also have to factor in their ERA and WHIP. You don't want your closers to consist of Kevin Gregg, Todd Jones, and Joe Borowski. These three guys will probably get you 100 saves but they'll probably have a combined ERA of 4.50. If you have a couple of these guys on your team you're sacrificing two categories for one. You want closers with an ERA of under 3.00 and a whip no more than 1.20. I'll tell you what you should do with your closers role in your CBS H2H leagues in an upcoming article. So here are the 2008 closers.

2008 Closers

1. Jonathan Papelbon- BOS -The best closer in the game on probably the best team in the league. There's no reason he won't still be the no. 1 closer after this year. Another dominating season. '08 Prediction: 40 S, 1.75 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 90 K.

2. J.J. Putz- SEA -Talk about domination. Putz had a phenomenal '07 season and put up some just ridiculous numbers. He may not be able to match those numbers again but the potential to do so puts him at no.2. '08 Prediction: 40 S 1.65 ERA 0.85 WHIP.

3. Francisco Rodriguez- LAA -Not a usual stellar year for him last year. He was wild at times and was frequently getting himself into jams. I expect a better year from him this year but his control problems are a bit troubling. '08 Prediction: 38 S 2.00 ERA 1.15 WHIP

4. Joe Nathan- MIN -The Twins are going to have trouble winning games this year but that's no reason to skip on Nathan. Still gets you great numbers across the board. He's a solid and reliable asset. '08 Prediction: 38 S, 1.75 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 90 K

5. Jose Valverde- HOU -People will probably disagree with this high a rank for Valverde but the guy is solid across the board. I don't personally like him but the guy is a beast out there. Can't lose having him as a closer. '08 Prediction: 40 S, 2.50 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 70 K

6. Bobby Jenks- CHW -He's a big boy and eventually his weight is going to catch up with him. For now he's looking good and no need to worry in the immediate future. Another solid year for Jenks. '08 Prediction: 40 S, 2.65 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 60 K

7. Takashi Saito- LAD -I'm usually very skeptical of Japanese pitchers. Shingo Takatsu didn't last too long as the White Sox closer. Hard to argue about his numbers though. They may inflate just a little bit this year however I'm still looking to draft him. '08 Prediction: 38 S, 1.45 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 75 K

8. Billy Wagner- NYM -You know all about this guy, not much to explain. Another very good year for him this year. Has occasional meltdown but otherwise he's very good. '08 Prediction: 35 S, 2.70 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 80 K

9. Mariano Rivera- NYY -The old man had an off year last season to say the least. He's a better pitcher than that and his numbers should see improvement this year. He is getting up there though and he can't go forever. '08 Prediction: 35 S, 2.60 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 75 K

10. Francisco Cordero- CIN -He's moving to a launching pad for a stadium this year but the guy is still solid. Like Wagner, he's shaky at times but overall a top 10 closer. '08 Prediction: 38 S, 2.70 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 85 K

11. Trevor Hoffman- SD -People are worried a little bit about Hoffman this year. Like Rivera, he can't got on forever. I'm not so worried about him. Although his skills are declining, he'll still get you good numbers. '08 Prediction: 40 S, 2.85 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 50 K

12. Rafael Soriano- ATL -He's always been a solid setup man and will be making the transition to closer full time. I like him as a closer. He's a veteran that won't be easily shaken. Atlanta's closers always have had opportunities but could never get the job done. I think Soriano can. '08 Prediction: 36 S, 2.45 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 65 K

13. Chad Cordero- WAS -While the Nationals may be a bad team, Cordero always gets his saves. Had a rough start to last season but came on strong at the end. Better numbers this year. '08 Prediction: 37 S, 2.90 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 65 K

14. Manny Corpas- COL -I really liked what I saw out of this kid last year. He's definitely better than Brian Fuentes. They just signed him to a new deal so he better produce. Not a great deal of Ks for a closer but had a very good ERA and WHIP last year. '08 Prediction: 32 S, 2.30 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 60 K

15. Jason Isringhausen- STL -To be honest, I don't like the guy. I never draft him or even consider him. He's the biggest injury risk of any closer but when he pitches he produces. He's just too big of a risk for me. '08 Prediction: 30 S, 2.50 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 50 K

16. Eric Gagne- MIL -Gagne is a little risky too but my gut is telling me that he will be healthy and have a productive season. I've been taking a chance on him late in drafts with the hopes he can keep healthy and consistent. '08 Prediction: 35 S, 3.00 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 70 K

17. Brad Lidge- PHI -His injury isn't that big of a deal and he'll be the closer once he gets back. The Phils definitely don't want to see Flash Gordon attempting to close out games for too long a period. '08 Prediction: 30 S, 2.75 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 90 K

18. Matt Capps- PIT -Not overwhelming by any means but gets the job done. I don't trust him any more than I've trusted any Pirate closer. Should be a decent no. 2 or 3 closer. '08 Prediction: 32 S, 2.80 ERA , 1.15 WHIP, 65 K

19. Joakim Soria- KC -He looks promising. I'm predicting that it won't be long before he's the closer or setup man on a contender. He can help you're ERA and WHIP though he won't pile up a ton of saves. '08 Prediction: 30 S, 2.35 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 75 K

20. Brian Wilson- SF -He put up some really good stats in his short stint last year. He's definitely the Giants best relief pitcher although that's not saying much. '08 Prediction: 28 S, 2.40 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 65 K

For the rest of the closer spots I want to do something different. I don't want to list guys who are battling for jobs above guys who have one right now. I also don't want to rank the walkoff waiting to happen closers at all. What I'm going to do is break down the competitions going on for the job.

Chicago Cubs--The Cubs are saying that it is a three way competition between Carlos Marmol, Bob Howry, and Kerry Wood. First off, it's not going to be Wood. He needs to prove he can pitch up to four times a week and until then he won't be considered. Lou Pinella would rather see a veteran in the role. He also likes Marmol as a 7th inning guy with the ability to get six hitters out if he needs him to. Knowing this, I believe Howry will be given the first shot and may keep it. You would want either of these guys on your team. Marmol obviously has the better numbers but Howry isn't too shabby either.

Toronto Blue Jays--Jeremy Accardo will most likely start the season off as closer. He's not the ideal closer but a decent substitute. As soon as B.J. Ryan is ready to resume his role, he'll take it over. Unless, Accardo has some kind of All Star caliber season which I don't see in the near future.

Detroit Tigers--As much as the people of Detroit are loving Jim Leyland, they can't understand why he constantly calls on Todd Jones to save his games for him. Actually, none of us can understand it. Jones scrapes by as being a closer but this may be the year that all of that ends and Leyland makes a change. However, I wouldn't be surprised if he sticks with Jones for another season.

Baltimore Orioles--It looks as if George Sherrill is going to win the job but I'm not impressed. He's just another temp closer and I wouldn't be surprised if this closer spot changes hands a few times during the year. Sherrill will save a few games this year though.

Cleveland Indians--As a Cubs fan, I'll always love the Polish Prince Joe Borowski but you can't trust him with your closers spot. Rumors are circulating that he may even be replaced before the season starts. Its just a matter of time before he's demoted or cut. Keep an eye on new free agent signee Masahide