Drafting Strategies 101

Most everybody has a strategy heading into draft day. Whether or not you stick to that plan is a completely different matter.

Regardless of what you have planned heading into the big day, it’s usually best to have several different options at your disposal. Be prepared to change on the fly, based on how other owner’s act. Most every league has an owner or two who don’t go the conventional way, thus forcing you to react accordingly.

One particular strategy which you will inevitably see, is when an owner ‘bails’ on pitching. Meaning, they’ll fill almost all of their offensive positions, then fill in their pitching slots with the dregs of the baseball world.

In our first mock draft of the year, I put that strategy to the test to see if it can really work. The league is a 5x5, AL only rotisserie format. One thing that is good about this draft is that it isn’t all experts. How many of us do a draft with a room full of experts? None of us. There are always a couple of dummies and that is for certain in the following. If you are taking part in an experts draft, you’re probably getting paid for it and don’t need to read this.

Now, here are the results.

Round 1
Team 1-Alex Rodriguez-A gimme
Team 2-Miguel Cabrera-Hard to believe he’s 2nd best player in AL
Team 3-David Ortiz-Dip in HR’s last year…slowing down?
Team 4-Grady Sizemore-Would have been my number 2 overall
Team 5-Vladimir Guerrero-No more SB’s….I’ll pass
Team 6-Carl Crawford-Still waiting for that 25 HR season
Team 7-Josh Beckett-Good grief
Team 8-Magglio Ordonez-Steady, but he’s 34
My Team-Alex Rios-Stud
Team 10-Justin Verlander-Way too early

A few things to note from this opening round. First, the American League is much weaker than the National League. Times have changed. In a typical mixed league draft, A-Rod might be the only junior circuit player taken in the first round.

Second, two teams in this particular draft took pitchers with their first pick. Madness!!! Pitching is way too unpredictable to waste a first round pick on. I’m a Red Sox fan and I think team 7 was out of their mind taking Beckett. Post-season stats don’t help in fantasy. Don’t overpay for October heroics.

Team 10 took a flier on Verlander, who I personally like. I think he might be the second best pitcher in the AL this year. But to use your first round pick on a pitcher whose never had an ERA below 3.60 is pretty dumb.

My pick was Toronto outfielder Alex Rios, a five tool guy who has reached the magical age of 27. Rios’ numbers have gone up each year and I firmly believe he will make the leap from good to great this season.

Round 2
Team 10-Roy Halladay-Two picks, two pitchers….what?
My Team-B.J. Upton-Upward mobility and 2B eligibility….hooray
Team 8-CC Sabathia-Contract year
Team 7-Manny Ramirez-Ditto….Manny loves money
Team 6-Victor Martinez-There’s V-Mart than every other catcher
Team 5-Ichiro-Better Mariners should mean better Ichiro
Team 4-John Lackey-Seriously?
Team 3-Robinson Cano-Still improving….good pick
Team 2-Erik Bedard-My number 1 AL pitcher after trade to Seattle
Team 1-Curtis Granderson-A steal at 20

I never would have taken Upton so high if he wasn’t eligible at 2B. As an outfielder, there are better choices. But as a second baseman, he’s tops in the league.

The fact that someone took John Lackey ahead of Bedard stunned me. The same for Halladay, who struck out only 139 batters last year, compared to 221 for Bedard.

Curtis Granderson might score 200 runs hitting atop the murderers row in Detroit.

Round 3
Team 1-Nick Markakis-Solid, but does he really excite you?
Team 2-Derek Jeter-Hasn’t been worth this high a pick since 1999
Team 3-Brian Roberts-Runs and SB’s….more valuable if out of Baltimore
Team 4-Nick Swisher-My heart skipped a beat when I heard this pick
Team 5-Chone Figgins-So fast, but has only scored 100 runs once in a season
Team 6-Travis Hafner-He killed me last year….an enigma
Team 7-Jonathon Papelbon-Closer alert
Team 8-Torii Hunter-As dumb as the Angels G.M.
My team-Justin Morneau-Again, potential, potential, potential
Team 10-Francisco Rodriguez-3 picks, 3 pitchers…the anti-me

By the end of the third round, you should be able to read some owners. Team 7 is a Red Sox fan. His first three picks, Beckett, Manny and Paps. Find that guy in your league and take advantage of him.

Derek Jeter always goes way too early. In 2007, he hit 12 home runs and stole 15 bases. Would I draft him? Yes….in the 7th round.

As far as my pick goes, Morneau has had back to back 30 home run, 100 RBI seasons. Plus, once again, 27 years old. I think his average will bounce back and he’ll be in MVP contention again.

Round 4
Team 10-Vernon Wells-Way down in ’07…this could be a steal
My Team-Bobby Abreu-First pick I didn’t care for
Team 8-Ian Kinsler-20-20 2nd baseman don’t grow on trees
Team 7-Joe Mauer-7 HR catchers, on the other hand, do
Team 6-Scott Kazmir-Tampa should be better, but we’ve heard that before
Team 5-JJ Putz-Pronounced puts, not putts…he’s good
Team 4-Felix Hernandez-Only 22…better days ahead
Team 3-Fausto Carmona-Major pitcher run
Team 2-Carlos Pena-46 HR’s in ’07….he’ll be lucky to get 25 in ‘08
Team 1-Michael Young-Power numbers dipping….danger, danger

Why I took Bobby Abreu: he’ll score 100 runs, drive in close to 100 and steal 20 bases. Also, he’s in a contract year. Why I’m not happy that I took Abreu: he’s 34, hasn’t had a lick of power since the home run derby in 2005 and he’s a Yankee.

It may be hard, but if you want to win at fantasy, you’ve got to be the bigger man and not take things personally. That being said, I will never, ever, draft Mike Mussina(I hate you).

Round 5
Team 1-Paul Konerko-Why would somebody take Pena ahead of him?
Team 2-Chien-Ming Wang-Lots of wins, little everything else
Team 3-Daisuke Matsuzaka-Was ’07 the best he’s got? I hope not
Team 4-Carlos Guillen-SS eligible….compare with Jeter, seriously
Team 5-Dontrelle Willis-Couldn’t pitch in NL, so why take him?
Team 6-Mariano Rivera-Still alive
Team 7-Gary Sheffield-If wrist is okay, I’m okay with Sheff…’roids and all
Team 8-Jered Weaver-Only 25 and in weak division
My Team-Hideki Matsui-See what I said about taking things personal?
Team 10-Delmon Young-Loads of upside

I chose Matsui, but regretted it when I saw Young go next. He was my choice coming back in round 6. I should have jumped.

In less than 500 at bats last year, Sheffield scored went 25-75-107, plus he stole 22 bases. His average suffered because of the wrist and he’s only eligible this year at DH and he’s 39. I still think he’ll produce in this lineup and I like the pick.

Round 6
Team 10-Bobby Jenks-Shouldn’t have fallen this far
My Team-Jim Thome-DH only, but still capable of 35 and 100
Team 8-Kelvim Escobar-Elbow injury…no takebacks
Team 7-Javier Vazquez-Was better than you realize last year
Team 6-Joe Nathan-Good closer, lousy team
Team 5-Johnny Damon-Would be better if he didn’t throw like a girl
Team 4-Francisco Liriano-18 months later…what does he have for us?
Team 3-Mike Lowell-Love you Mike, but ’07 was a career year
Team 2-Adrian Beltre-Always starts slow and then…
Team 1-AJ Burnett-Injured himself watching the Super Bowl

What do all the starting pitchers taken in this round have in common? They all have serious question marks, especially when it comes to injury. And this is only the 6th round!!! Maybe this strategy will work after all.

Round 7
Team 1-Jorge Posada-’07 was a contract year…this year, real Jorge shows up
Team 2-Huston Street-A’s will win 60 games…can he save half of them?
Team 3-Kenji Johjima-He’s okay, but this is as good as he’ll get
Team 4-Jarrod Saltalamacchis-Jarrod on the other hand could be a monster
Team 5-Orlando Cabrera-He’ll run….that’s all I have to say about him
Team 6-Jermaine Dye-Old…I think he was in Vietnam
Team 7-Joe Blanton-He’s fat and the A’s stink…put it together
Team 8-Howie Kendrick-See below
My Team-Edgar Renteria-Old, but oh those Tigers!
Team 10-Kevin Youkilis-Solid, but unspectacular

The only thing that scares me about Renteria is his previous stint in the AL, where he stunk up the joint with the Red Sox. Hopefully, that year was an aberration. The Tigers may average 9 runs a game, which means 1 a game for Edgar, which means 162 for the year.

Now, onto Howie Kendrick. Frankly, I am sick of Howie Kendrick. Actually, let me rephrase that. I am sick of everyone acting like Howie is Honus Wagner reincarnate. Yes, he batted .322 last year. But what else did he do? 5 home runs, 39 RBI’s and 5 stolen bases. Marcus Giles did better than that and he can’t buy a job this year. So, in other words, Howie Kendrick, pass.

Round 8
Team 10-Alex Gordon-Team 10 snaked me again!
My Team-Jason Varitek-Hopefully second half was sign of a better ‘08
Team 8-Todd Jones-Ancient, but he does it for you every year
Team 7-Raul Ibanez-This year, he becomes a household name….maybe not
Team 6-James Shields-Another reason Rays are movin’ on up…under the radar no more
Team 5-Joe Borowski-Wasted pick….he’ll be out as closer by June
Team 4-Joakim Soria-Fireballer stuck in K.C.
Team 3-Josh Hamilton-Feel good story, but if you ask me, rehab is for quitters
Team 2-J.D. Drew-Seriously?
Team 1-Rocco Baldelli-Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice…..

Okay, I admit….Varitek was a mistake. I was stunned by the Gordon pick and had 90 seconds to come up with a pick. The first thing I looked at were catchers and I took who I thought was the best one left. Lesson learned….Pay attention boys and girls. Don’t let yourself get in this situation. Have a fallback pick in place, so you don’t have to rush and mess up. Ibanez or a closer would have been a much better pick. JD Drew wouldn’t have.

Round 9
Team 1-Michael Cuddyer-An integral cog in the extremely dull 2008 Twins
Team 2-Mark Teahen-A major disappointment in ’07….but still young enough to leap
Team 3-Andy Pettitte-No distractions this year for this guy or anything
Team 4-Placido Polanco-He gets a lot of hits and has a humongous head….nice combo
Team 5-Daniel Cabrera-Not if he was the last starting pitcher on earth
Team 6-Jeremy Bonderman-I like him, but he really, really stunk last year
Team 7-Curt Schilling-Who says starting pitchers are a gamble?
Team 8-Jose Guillen-Suspended 25 games and on KC….Ooh, ooh, give me him!!
My Team-CJ Wilson-Sleeper alert
Team 10-Jacoby Ellsbury-If Coco gets shipped out of town, this is a nice pick

Memo: CJ Wilson will be a top 5 closer in the AL this year. Every season, there are closers who come out of nowhere and Wilson is my pick in ’08. He’s got good stuff and doesn’t have much competition(Eddie Guardado? Puhlease) That being said, Wilson will probably lose his job before spring training is out.

Another note….please place Cabrera and Bonderman on the S.S. Kendrick. Stop telling us how electric these guys stuff is and figure out why they keep getting torched. Cabrera is a fantasy killer and has been for years. If you come out of the draft with this guy on your team, you might as well have flushed your entry fee down the toilet.

Round 10
Team 10-Pudge Rodriguez-Probably the last Tiger hitter you would want
My Team-Josh Fields-373 at-bats, 23 HR’s…pro-rate that!!
Team 8-Rich Harden-Speaking of injured pitchers
Team 7-Jon Garland-He’ll pitch, but well? Lots of wins, little K’s
Team 6-Aaron Hill-Don’t expect 17 homers again
Team 5-Ryan Garko-Nice 2nd half and entering his 27th year
Team 4-Evan Longoria-Looking more and more like starting 3rd baseman
Team 3-Phil Hughes-Not as good last year as everyone thinks
Team 2-Coco Crisp-Waste of a pick
Team 1-Joba Chamberlain-If he starts, he’s worth it…if not?

This is about where you start to see teams either take a chance on a guy with potential(Longoria, Fields, Hughes, Joba) or you take garbage(Pudge, Harden, Crisp). Unless it’s your job, don’t pick up garbage.

Round 11
Team 1-Jeremy Accardo-Filled in nicely, but BJ Ryan is trying to make it back
Team 2-Luke Scott-Good eye, could be a nice player in Baltimore
Team 3-Ramon Hernandez-Went from 23 HR’s to 9….washed up or no?
Team 4-Dustin McGowan-Nice, young pitcher who knows how to K
Team 5-Melky Cabrera-Never understood the offseason interest….boring
Team 6-Hank Blalock-27th year, repaired shoulder, nice 2008 coming, take the chance
Team 7-Gil Meche-Started out swell, but then turned into Gil Meche
Team 8-Mark Buehrle-Steady with little K’s….at least he’s durable
My Team-Jason Giambi-Somebody slipped something in my drink
Team 10-Dustin Pedroia-Sparkplug, team player…fantasy bore

McGowan and Scott could be gems. So could Accardo, but that all depends on what Toronto does with Ryan. If healthy, it’s BJ’s job. I really like Blalock and Giambi can’t be as bad as he was in 2007.

As far as my all hitting strategy, I’ve got 3 offensive spots left to fill (C, MI and OF). Then, we’ll see what kind of pitchers are left. As is, at least 20 pitchers have been picked that I wouldn’t want anywhere near my squad.

Round 12
Team 10-Frank Thomas-Should have taken him over Giambi
My Team-Adam Jones-5 category stud….hopefully it will be this year
Team 8-Jon Lester-Schilling injury increases value
Team 7-AJ Pierzynski-Just hope his teammates don’t knock his block off
Team 6-Julio Lugo-Another guy who should fare better in ’08 than ‘07
Team 5-Jeremy Guthrie-New number 1 in Baltimore
Team 4-BJ Ryan-Worth the gamble
Team 3-Garrett Anderson-The definition of ‘who knows?’
Team 2-Corey Patterson-No team yet, so value is TBD
Team 1-Troy Percival-From the ‘I can’t freakin believe it’ files

Lots of old guys in round 12. If there’s anything I hate, it’s old guys.

Round 13
Team 1-Aubrey Huff-Could still get you 20-80
Team 2-Jhonny Peralta-Finally, some youth….entering his prime
Team 3-Brian Bannister-This is around when all the Royals start to come out of hiding
Team 4-Yuniesky Betancourt-Boring
Team 5-John Buck-You’ll need Stan Musial to offset his batting average
Team 6-Lyle Overbay-Forgotten man, could be a bargain
Team 7-Gary Matthews Jr-Love me a .252 average
Team 8-David DeJesus-Loads of runs, yet he doesn’t run…odd
My Team-Zach Greinke-I counted….19 pitchers taken before him that I wouldn’t touch
Team 10-Ervin Santana-Good god….make that 20

Now wouldn’t you rather take a chance on a young guy like Greinke, who has shown he knows how to actually pitch, as opposed to somebody like Daniel Cabrera and Rich Harden? So far, this strategy is making me look like a genius.

Round 14
Team 10-Jason Bartlett-He’ll steal some bases while batting 9th in Tampa
My Team-Ian Kennedy-If Joba is stuck in the pen, Ian is a steal
Team 8-Shaun Marcum-My kind of pitcher…young, upside, K’s
Team 7-Bobby Crosby-BA in ’06: .229, BA in ’07: .226…catch the trend?
Team 6-Travis Buck-Best OF in Oakland…pretty depressing
Team 5-Bartolo Colon-Still no home, unless you count Taco Bell
Team 4-Milton Bradley-They say he’ll be okay to DH, but I doubt it
Team 3-Kevin Millwood-Estrada for Millwood, what a steal!
Team 2-Paul Byrd-No upside here
Team 1-Billy Butler-52 RBI’s in just over 300 AB’s…tough to do on KC

That there is one ugly round. Buck, Butler, Marcum and Kennedy could show some value, but most of the other guys will hurt more than help.

So far, my staff is made up of Greinke, Kennedy and CJ Wilson. All guys I’m happy to have and I didn’t have to sacrifice any of my offense. Way to go me!

Round 15
Team 1-Matt Garza-Highly touted…time to step it up a notch
Team 2-Mike Mussina-Do I even have to say it?
Team 3-Erick Aybar-Starting SS in ANA….if he learns how to get on, he’ll steal
Team 4-Jason Kubel-Could give you 20 and 80
Team 5-Nate Robertson-I’d rather have him than Dontrelle
Team 6-Kurt Suzuki-7 HR’s in just 213 AB’s…nice pop for the buck
Team 7-Eric Chavez-One time top 3B is now going after Kurt Suzuki…wow
Team 8-Mike Napoli-Love this pick…see memo to Mike Scioscia below
My Team-Mark Ellis-Best MI available…hope that ’07 wasn’t an aberration
Team 10-Carlos Quentin-Was a nice pick, until the ChiSox dealt for Swisher

This is more my kind of round. A lot of potential breakouts in round 15. Garza could be an ace. Aybar has stolen a ton in the minors. Kubel is a longtime prospect now given the chance to play. Suzuki needs to catch 100 games so we see what he can do. Quentin should be a starter, but with Ozzie Guillen as manager, I doubt it. Cross your fingers.

And onto Mike Napoli. The 26 year old has hit 26 home runs over the past two seasons in 487 at bats. So, if I’m not mistaken, give him that many at bats this season alone and I think it’s safe to say he’ll smack at least 20 bombs. Considering the dreck at the catcher position, that’s saying a lot. So let’s all focus our collective mojo towards Anaheim and try to convince Scioscia that we don’t want defensive specialist Jeff Mathis to be the starter. Screw the good glove, I want taters. Do it for us, Mike.

Round 16
Team 10-Jesse Litsch-Fifth starter in Toronto….that’s all I have
My Team-Jake Westbrook-WHIP is bad, ERA is okay, no K’s…but he should win
Team 8-Casey Kotchman-Missed 2006 with mono…what is he, 12?
Team 7-Melvin Mora-To answer your question, yes, he is still alive
Team 6-Jonny Gomes-The modern day Kevin Maas
Team 5-Jose Lopez-Numbers dipped across the board in ’07….he’s only 24, though
Team 4-Dioner Navarro-Good glove, no hit, no draft
Team 3-Richie Sexson-Now that’s what you call a freefall….what the heck, take a shot
Team 2-Jamie Walker-Could be closing or could be a worthless lefty specialist
Team 1-Joey Gathright-You can’t teach speed…obviously you can’t teach hitting either

I don’t even like looking at that round. Let’s just move on.

Round 17
Team 1-Adam Loewen-They put a new elbow in last year, so who knows
Team 2-Tim Wakefield-It might have been Tim’s elbow…he doesn’t use it
Team 3-Jerry Owens-Speedy, young OF who’s number 5 on the depth chart
Team 4-Jack Cust-Think Pete Incaviglia…nice late pick
Team 5-Casey Blake-Can you believe he’s 34 years old?
Team 6-Adam Lind-More wasted youth with no place to play
Team 7-Reggie Willits-Zero HR’s in 430 AB’s…back to the bench!!
Team 8-Juan Rivera-And guess who’ll be sitting next to Reggie?
My Team-Clay Bucholz-Please, no applause necessary
Team 10-Marlon Byrd-Think he’ll hit .307 and drive in 70 again? N-O

I’m liking this strategy more and more. I think I might try it in my big money league. The fact that Juan Rivera was chosen with five rounds to go should tell you one thing. Don’t wait to draft your outfielders!!! Load up and don’t get stuck with this kind of swill.

Round 18
Team 10-Kevin Slowey-Waste of a pick
My Team-Al Reyes-He was solid last year and Percival is working on his 4th shoulder
Team 8-Daric Barton-Should be starting 1st baseman…potential ROY
Team 7-Kenny Lofton-Makes me realize just how old I am
Team 6-Boof Bonser-Oooff
Team 5-Miguel Batista-He won 16 last year, but at a cost(1.52 WHIP)
Team 4-Dan Johnson-Another one who has fallen and might not have a job this year
Team 3-Brandon McCarthy-Another deal where the Rangers got hosed
Team 2-Asdrubal Cabrera-Fighting with Barfield to start at 2nd
Team 1-Gerald Laird-No chance of holding off my man Salty

With 4 rounds to go, I need a catcher and 3 pitchers. I’ve got 4 names circled, let’s see if they are there when I pick.

Round 19
Team 1-Kenny Rogers-Everyone wins on the Tigers, but that doesn’t mean they’re good
Team 2-Rafael Betancourt-There goes one of mine
Team 3-Franklin Gutierrez-He’s been touted a long time…time to prove it or lose it
Team 4-Hideki Okajima-Sweet numbers, but Paps ain’t going anywhere
Team 5-Scott Rolen-‘He could be the greatest 3rd baseman of all time!’ Yeah right.
Team 6-Pat Neshek-Another guy stuck behind a stud
Team 7-Alexi Casilla-I feel sorry for you
Team 8-Scott Baker-He has potential, which is more than I can say for many others
My Team-Gregg Zaun-A starting catcher in round 19? 10 homers is 10 homers
Team 10-Rod Barajas-You’d think my 3 year old son was drafting this team

Seriously….Rod Barajas? 3 picks to go and 3 pitchers needed. I have to say, I’m happy with what I’ve got so far.

Round 20
Team 10-Gustavo Chacin-Torn rotator cuff….bad ERA…why bother?
My Team-Jarrod Washburn-Solid last year, but I should have taken Gabbard
Team 8-Akinori Iwamura-Another guy I love….multipositional, will improve on ‘07
Team 7-Kevin Millar-He’s bringing ‘Cowboy Up’ back
Team 6-Scott Shields-Terrible last year….a dime a dozen
Team 5-Jose Contreras-Not if you put me on a raft and sent me to Cuba
Team 4-Jose Vidro-Nice BA, but the rest S-U-C-K-S
Team 3-Cliff Floyd-Bet you didn’t know he was in Tampa...bet you didn’t care
Team 2-Jeff Mathis-Go away!!
Team 1-Josh Barfield-Papa Jesse ain’t so proud anymore

Gabbard is still hanging there for me. Personally, outside of Washburn, all those pitchers taken that round absolutely rot.

Round 21
Team 1-Aaron Laffey-That’s more like it…at least he’s got a glimmer of potential
Team 2-Kelly Shoppach-He can hit, he’s just got V-Mart in his way
Team 3-John Danks-I didn’t realize the White Sox pitching was this bad
Team 4-Carlos Silva-Decent value but he couldn’t strike out my Aunt Tillie
Team 5-Jacques Jones-Went from 27 homers to 5….good buy low candidate
Team 6-George Sherrill-Super pick….could be closing in Baltimore
Team 7-Kason Gabbard-Arrrgh!
Team 8-Brendan Harris-At least I didn’t want him
My Team-Fernando Rodney-Todd Jones can’t go on forever and Zumaya is hurt again
Team 10-Mike Sweeney-Not on a major league team, but somehow he’s on the DL

A lot of nice bargains this round….Mainly among them Sherrill and Gabbard. I’m crossing my fingers that Todd Jones gets hit by a bus. On to the final round!

Round 22
Team 10-Justin Duscherrer-Huston Street ain’t that durable a dude
My Team-Troy Patton-Bedard trade opens door for uber prospect
Team 8-Curtis Thigpen-3 Blue Jays catchers get drafted….how?
Team 7-Cliff Lee-He was good before…can he find it again?
Team 6-Brandon Inge-Cabrera makes him a sub, but a darn good one
Team 5-Jose Molina-I hate catchers
Team 4-Scott Linebrink-2nd in line for saves in Chi town
Team 3-Joe Saunders-Escobar injury could make him a nice commodity
Team 2-Andy Sonnanstine-Top prospect, but fighting for a rotation slot
Team 1-Matt Albers-O’s bullpen is crowded…and crappy

So that’s it for mockup number 1. And as you can see, there are still a number of ‘decent’ players who didn’t get picked up
Some interesting guys who didn’t get picked:

Rafael Perez-RP-Cle, Kyle Farnsworth-RP-NYYBrad Wilkerson-OF/1B-Sea, Marcus Thames-OF-Det, Joe Crede-3B-CHI

Lastly, let’s take a look at my roster and see if you think this particular strategy worked

C-Jason Varitek
C-Gregg Zaun
1B-Justin Morneau
2B-Mark Ellis
3B-Josh Fields
SS-Edgar Renteria
OF-Alex Rios
OF-Bobby Abreu
OF-Hideki Matsui
OF-Adam Jones
OF-BJ Upton
UT-Jason Giambi
UT-Jim Thome
P-Clay Bucholz
P-Zach Greinke
P-Jarod Washburn
P-Ian Kennedy
P-Jake Westbrook
P-CJ Wilson
P-Troy Patton
P-Al Reyes
P-Fernando Rodney

I feel that my season will hinge on three players. Wilson, Bucholz and Kennedy. If both starters win regular spots in their respective rotations, they should provide wins, ERA and WHIP. Bucholz can help with K’s, but Kennedy is more of a junkballer. If Wilson becomes the closer I think he can be, then I’ll have a nice foundation to build around in saves.

If you ask me for a verdict, I would vote in favor of giving this strategy a shot. My offense is stacked. Jones, Upton, Rios, Abreu and Renteria will give me my steals. I’ve got power out the wazoo. If I can add a sleeper pitcher or two throughout the season, I’ll be fine.

Fantasy Baseball Preview

If you’re anything like me, all this warm weather has given you spring fever. And though I know that means we are going to get absolutely creamed with the storm of the century in the coming weeks, I’ve already got baseball on my mind.

That being the case, I figured I would let you all know about all the great stuff we’ll be putting on the website, getting you ready for your fantasy drafts, which are really not that far away.(hooray for February being short)

Starting Monday, we’ll have team by team previews. We’ll tell you who is worth owning and who isn’t on each and every major league team.

We’ll update you on starting lineups, rotations, depth charts and more.

We’ll give you rankings and cheatsheets for every position. We’ll go through a number of mock drafts, testing out strategies that might or might not work.

For example, I recently participated in an AL only mock draft where I basically sold out on my pitching staff. This is a strategy that somebody always tries each season. We’ll let you know if it’s worth it or not.

Pitchers and catchers begin to filter into camp next week. We’ll keep you posted on who’s up and who’s down. Curt Schilling, in case you haven’t heard, is down. Way down. My buddy Randy has a theory that he hurt his shoulder rolling off his couch onto a bag of Doritos. I personally think it was a bag of Funions, but we’ll see.

The pieces are also coming together on a South Jersey All-Experts Fantasy League. I’m working on getting some of the pre-eminent fantasy baseball minds in the Delaware Valley to come together early next month to see who really knows their stuff.

We’ll post all the results of that draft, giving you the bird’s eye of view of what some fantasy baseball authorities are thinking for the coming season.

So be ready. Gary Mac’s Fantasy Baseball Spectacular for the Central Record is on its way, with all the info you could ever want or need. Everybody else is just wrong.

THIS IS WHY FOOTBALL IS KING

Warning: shocking information to follow.

But first, some things:

Am I a bad person for wishing it would have been Darren Howard stabbed in the neck during a barroom altercation instead of Charles Grant? Cap space, baby!

Do you think that if somebody spilled chocolate sauce on the Lombardi Trophy, Doug Williams would have tried to eat it?

Tom Petty is who we thought he was. A boring old guy.

If Jeremy Shockey were home alone, what do you think he would have shouted when his replacement Kevin Boss caught that long pass in the 4th quarter? I’d stake a lot that it wasn’t yippee.

Best commercial of the night: The E-Trade commercial’s with the baby and the creepy clown. The rest were very ordinary. I guess the writers strike is affecting commercials as well.

Did you notice that Fox’s Frank Caliendo had to sit in the noseblood seats? Funniest thing I’ve seen all year involving him.

Nice move by the Cartoon Network airing 10 hours of Scooby-Doo prior to the game. I needed an excuse not to go outside on a beautiful, sunny, 50 degree Sunday.

Steve Spagnuolo is going to go from specialty coach, to defensive coordinator to head coach in a span of three years. That’s what you call jumping the gun. Keep up the good work Dan Snyder.

Now, on to the shocking truth. I feel so dirty.

Revelation #1: I hate the Giants. (You should know that already)

Revelation #2: I would have been content if the Giants got lambasted by the Patriots. (I know, another shock…just wait, alright!)

Revelation #3: I rooted my butt off for the Giants once the game began.

I’m prepared to take all your flack. Giants fans especially. As an Eagles fan, it is my responsibility to trash anything associated with ‘big blue.’ It’s an understanding between the two sides. Crunch Bunch. Enough said.

And don’t get me wrong, I still detest you. Don’t take it personal. You guys stink.

But on my life, you can ask my dog, I was standing up and rooting for this team last night. Probably more than Jeremy Shockey was. I can’t put an exact finger on why, but I truly was. I’m still coming to terms on why this happened.

Maybe it was because they were heavy underdogs. It’s always much easier to root for the prey than for the hunter. Upsets are what make life worth living. And of course, I never can get enough of ‘nobody gave us a chance. Nobody gave us respect.’ Yeah, only the 40 percent of the people who predicted you would win. But besides them, nobody gave you a chance.

Maybe it’s because of Joe Montana. The greatest quarterback who ever played the game. My idol. DO NOT MENTION tom brady IN THE SAME BREATH AS JOE MONTANA. If you do, we’re gonna’ throw. It made me giddy to see Tom get decked as much as he did. Cocky little Michigan twerp.

Maybe it’s because of the ’72 Dolphins. I know they are old and decrepit and to be perfectly honest, kind of pathetic. But I didn’t want the Patriots to be called the greatest team of all-time. That title is reserved for the 2010 Eagles. Place your bets now-I’ve been to the future.

I also love the fact that even though that Dolphins team went undefeated that year, they aren’t even in the conversation when it comes to greatest team ever. They weren’t even favored to win versus the Redskins in the Super Bowl. The ‘85 Bears, 70’s Steelers, ’89 49ers, early ‘90’s Cowboys. They all get props, but the Fish don’t. Maybe that’s why those geezers are so crabby.

More than likely it’s Bill Belichick. He is the devil. He really is a pretty awful person. Jets fans have been saying this for years. But this year, he showed the rest of the country how rotten he truly is. The Spygate thing obviously stands out. But what if the scandal surrounding 36 is true and they did videotape the Rams walkthrough. Could there be anything worse than that? I mean, who cares about a regular season game against the Jets. I think they lost to Fleetwood Elementary this year. But the Super Bowl? Can someone really want to win that badly? I think his dad must have been Dick Cheney.

And could Bill have been shown less sportsmanship at the end of the game? Walking off the field before it was officially over….some student of the game you are. Randy Moss did that a couple years ago and got killed for it. I hope the same happens to Bill in the coming days. And if you didn’t catch his post-game interview, go look for it on youtube or something, because you missed a treat. He sounded like Mumbles from the Dick Tracy movie. It was glorious. He answered four or five questions and I didn’t understand a single one.

And what do you think the over/under is on time he’ll spend with his family during this off-season? I’ll put money down on 3 hours and 15 minutes.

Maybe it’s the whole New England/Boston thing. Fans from that area have been getting a little too big for their britches. They just need to take a step back and relax. After being Larry Bird and a bunch of bottom dwellers for 20 years, things have taken a turn for the better. I’ve got it on good authority that the Red Sox will win 3 of the next 4 World Series, so just be happy with that. I know I will be. (Sox Rule!)

One last possibility could be my hatred for Tiki Barber. If there is ever a competition for most egotistical person on the planet, I think it would come down to Tiki and that 90 year old prince who is on all the tabloid shows and says that he slept with all these hot models and actresses. 2006 was all about Tiki. And the Giants paid for it, exiting in the first round of the playoffs.

This year, Tiki sits on his NBC perch, taking shots at his former teammates. Maybe, just maybe, this helped to galvanize the remaining Giants. Tiki might have a sweet gig on television, shining those pearly whites that he bought with Wellington Mara’s money, but he’ll never be able to call himself a champion. Hooray.

I had the pleasure of visiting Giants Stadium for the first time this year, to watch the Eagles without their best player (Westbrook), their All-Pro Safety (Dawkins), and starting left tackle (Thomas). The Giants sacked Donovan about 13 or 14 times, but barely hung on to win, despite all those advantages: a hideous game all around.

And if I learned one thing from my visit, it was that I’m glad I didn’t have to go back, because my I.Q. dropped about 20 points that night, just by being in the proximity of those 40,000 nincompoops.

But congratulations, because now you can call yourselves Super Bowl Champion nincompoops, which is something each and every one of us Eagles fans would die for.

Let the countdown to training camp commence.

Feel Free to Exhale

Take a deep breath. Like that Kleenex commercial with the song you can’t get out of your head. ‘Let It Out’. Our long national nightmare is finally over.

While the baseball world waited with baited breath for the past three months, a deal was finally reached this week that will change the power structure of the National League East.

Of course, I’m talking about the Phillies signing third baseman Pedro Feliz. The 32 year old received a deal that could pay him upwards of 15 million dollars over the next three seasons.

Feliz is a top notch fielder, but if you play fantasy, that’s not what you care about. You care about the 21 homers he has averaged over the past three seasons, while batting in a much tougher park than Philly. He should easily eclipse those numbers, when you take into account the ballpark and the supporting cast.

What irks me are the dopes who are putting down this deal. You can’t be upset about the money, because as far as baseball salaries go, Feliz is getting chump change. An average of 5 million over three years, a lot of that coming in the form of performance bonuses. That argument doesn’t hold water.

Greg Dobbs and Wes Helms weren’t that bad. Excuse me? Did I just write that? Wes Helms is a platoon player. Some guys just perform better coming off the bench. Lenny Harris, Rusty Staub, Manny Mota. Helms looks like he’s one of those guys. They tried him out as a starter and it didn’t work. HE HIT 5 HOME RUNS LAST YEAR!!! YOUR STARTING THIRD BASEMAN HAD FIVE HOME RUNS!!!

And don’t even get me started on Greg Dobbs. He’s 30 years old and has 12 more home runs in his career than I have. The Phillies picked him up after he was released by the Coors Silver Bullets. He’s a left handed bat who can come off the bench. Keep him, lose Helms and get a grip. Feliz is better.

Another N.L. East team made a move this week, though not quite as earth shattering. The Mets won the lotto, mainly because they were the only team playing. Johan Santana will be pitching in Shea next season and for many more to come. Not good news for Phillies fans.

The funny thing is, the Twins overthought the entire process and wound up getting screwed in the end. Minnesota gave up the best pitcher in baseball and in return received:

Carlos Gomez-OF-He’s 22 year’s old and fast. Word is he could develop 20 home run power in the next couple years. So Gomez will either be Carl Crawford or Chuck Carr. If I’m trading the best lefthander since Steve Carlton, I expect to get more than Chucky Carr as the lynchpin in the deal.

Phillip Humber-P-25-Already had Tommy John surgery. Good luck with that.

Kevin Mulvey-P-22-Comparisons are to Paul Byrd and Carlos Silva. A groundball pitcher who threw for Team USA last year. In other words….yawn.

Deolis Guerra-P-18-Described as the ‘hidden gem’ in the Mets farm system. If I had a nickel for every 18 year old who burned up the rookie leagues, I wouldn’t be writing this blog. Want to hear something else that will make you cringe. They say he reminds people of Daniel Cabrera. I think that’s actually an insult. In case you missed it, Cabrera has walked 212 batters over the past two seasons, racking up an ERA over 5.

It’s kind of like when you go to the liquor store and buy booze for all your friends who say they are coming over. Then it turns out, nobody shows and you’re stuck with two thirty packs, a case of Genny Cream Ale, some fruity thing for your buddy’s girlfriend and a bottle of MD 20/20.

Then, your unemployed neighbor comes over and says ‘Hey, I’ll drink with you. Here’s 5 bucks.’ You’re going to take it.

The Twins were left with nobody to dance with and had to take what they could get.

At least I’m not a Twins fan. Pass the Mad Dog.

Here Comes The Pain!!

When Championship Sunday was over and done with one week ago, I was left with a hollow feeling inside. The eventual winner of Super Bowl XLII was going to be a team I detested. There was no way around it. It was like choosing between being a contestant on Rock of Love or being Canadian. There are no winners.

So for the next couple days I just sat around in the dark, trying to digest the fact that the 2007 NFL season was dead to me. Let’s get the combine started!

Even the halftime show this year has gone backwards after being cool for one year. Last year, Prince lived up to his reputation and put on an amazing show. Have you seen the lineup for this year’s halftime and pre-game?

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. I liked them a lot when I was younger, but to be honest, I thought TP was dead.

Paula Abdul. Not sure what she’s going to do, but it better not be singing.

Kylie Minogue. Our only chance for a little halftime peep show.

Soulja Boy. If this is who I think this is, I’ll be getting drunk a lot earlier than expected.

Jordin Sparks. In case you haven’t realized it yet, the game is being aired on Fox.

But this past Friday, something happened. I was in my car listening to WFAN in New York and I heard some guy from Bayonne call in (Benny or Sal or something like that) and I realized this is the New Jersey Giants we are talking about.

The Patriots are a bunch of loud, crass, cheap, cocky, eye poking, knee rolling, supermodel dating, HGH using cheats.

And I hope they beat the Giants by 50.

I’m not really sure where my head was at for those first couple of days. I was bummed out. I had lost myself. Strayed from the path.

But Tony from Manalapan snapped me out of it. Hearing these morons renewed my sense of true hatred. Choosing between the Cowboys and the Giants is a lose-lose. But the Giants and Patriots? What was I thinking?

Eli and his eggshell of a psyche. Michael Strahan and his ridiculous lisp. Plaxico and his ability to pushoff with the best of the cheaters. All these guys for going to schools that stress education (Jim Finn-Penn, Kevin Boothe-Cornell, Zak DeOssie-Brown). What do you think you’re smarter than me? Nerds.

I’m not stopping there. Amani Toomer for just not going away. And for going to Michigan. Madison Hedgecock for having a ridiculous name. R.W. McQuarters. His real first name? Rachel. Kawika Mitchell for not understanding his ethnicity.

Guy Whimper for being an 6’5, 300 pound offensive lineman named Whimper. Jeff Feagles for getting paid to kick a football since I was in the 7th grade. For Jeremy Shockey for being the MOST OVERRATED TIGHT END IN FOOTBALL. (Don’t even argue it Giants’ fans. You know I’m right.)

For the Crunch Bunch. I giggle just hearing it. Worst. Nickname. Ever. For Brad Benson. Your dealership stinks. For Phil McConkey. Just because.

And for Tom Coughlin for being a bum of a coach for the past decade and never winning anything. But because he’s part of the old boy’s network, he kept getting a job. And now, because of this lucky streak, he’ll be around for at least another ten years.

So, I’ve been given a one week reprieve on my football hibernation. My life has a renewed purpose. Do everything I can to send some bad mojo towards the Giants and their fans. I’m going to try to watch the game with some Giants fans, just so I can enjoy seeing their heartbreak firsthand.

56-10 sounds about right for the final, though I’m hoping the Patriots opt to run up the score.

I’ll return to my hibernation on Monday.

Questions or Comments? Write me at garymacfantasygod@live.com

NFL Playoff Review and Look Ahead to Fantasy Football in 2008

It’s been an amazing three weeks of NFL playoffs. Three straight road wins for the Giants. The Pats, not looking spectacular, but good enough to stay unbeaten. The Cowboys, Colts, and Bucs proving that you should never, ever sit your starters down the stretch. (If this year doesn’t teach teams not to take weeks off, than nothing will.)

But if you look closer, you’ll also see there’s a lot to be learned going forward to the 2008 fantasy season as well. Here are some important things to take into consideration for next year.

Giants RB’s-If you are like me and were banking on Brandon Jacobs to be an RB1 next year, guess again. The Giants seem committed to not making Jacobs a feature back. Watching Ahmad Bradshaw, it’s hard to believe he didn’t have a single carry until week 12 and only 23 total on the season. Plus, Derrick Ward looked strong when he was healthy. We can now see why the Giants felt Ryan Grant was expendable. Jacobs looks like he’ll be nothing more than an RB2 next year, capable of occasional big days, but just not consistent enough to build your team around.

Plaxico Burress-It was a terrific year for Plaxico, with over a thousand yards and 12 touchdowns in the regular season. And that was despite playing almost the entire season on a bum ankle and with hardly any practice in between games. Now, Burress says he is feeling terrific and his record day against Green Bay proves it. Don’t be surprised to see Burress go as the 5th or 6th overall wide receiver at next year’s draft.

Eli Manning/Jeremy Shockey-Is it a coincidence that Eli has played his best football, possibly ever, since Shockey went down with a broken leg? Eli seems like the type that could be intimidated by someone as loud and obnoxious as Shockey and that could have a negative effect on the signal caller. Can’t you picture this discussion between Eli and Shockey following a Giants win.

Eli-“42-3! Great win, huh Jeremy?”
Shockey-“Yeah man. But didn’t you see me wide open on that 2nd and 8 play? And then, you just flat out missed me on that long drive in the fourth. Don’t let it happen again, okay?”
Eli-(stares at ground and nods in agreement, then goes to make Jeremy a sandwich)

There’s no reason to expect Shockey to be playing somewhere else next season, so Eli could go back into his shell in September.

Lawrence Maroney-Proving that he CAN and SHOULD be the man. Granted, the Patriots O-line is awesome and defenses are focusing on stopping the New England passing game, but Maroney has carried this team through the playoffs. And if given the chance, Maroney could be a top five RB. But there’s no reason for New England to change it’s offensive philosophy, which means Maroney likely will still be available in the mid to late second round.

Brett Favre-Despite having two top notch receivers, an up and coming tight end, a powerful offensive line and a breakout running back, Brett Favre proved he can still single handedly lose a game better than anybody. I’ll never really understand how he gets away with some of the things he does. If Eli was the one who threw those two god awful interceptions, he would have been fed to the monster in Cloverfield. But when it’s Favre, that’s just Brett being Brett. The Packers are the youngest team in the league and I know good QB’s don’t grow on trees. Favre put up decent fantasy numbers this year, but those around him could probably be doing even better with someone else under center.

Marvin Harrison/Reggie Wayne-We’ve all been waiting for the changing of the guard in Indy and 2007 was finally it. Harrison will be 36 at the start of next season and I can’t see how Wayne will return to playing second fiddle. Harrison will still be a strong play, but his days of being Peyton’s favorite target are over.

David Garrard-A lot of people were critical of Jack Del Rio when he released starter Byron Leftwich just days before the season started. But Garrard proved Del Rio right and then stepped it up another notch in the playoffs, leading his team to a win at Pittsburgh. Given a full season at the helm and more work with his young wide receivers, Garrard could become a weekly start in 2008.

Philip Rivers-More than anything, this postseason has shown that the Chargers are more than just LaDainian Tomlinson and some roid ragers. Rivers, playing with a torn up knee, came through time and time again, making some very tough throws and almost leading the Chargers to the Super Bowl. This despite not having the full services of the league’s best tight end Antonio Gates and the aforementioned LDT. (I can never call him LT again, just because the real LT would never have sat out a Championship game.)

Vincent Jackson-Jackson is fast like ninja and can leap like a jackrabbit. But if you drafted him this year, you were probably screaming at the television watching him turn into Lynn Swann in the playoffs. Jackson caught 18 balls for 300 yards and 2 touchdowns in three postseason games. Compare that with 41-623-3 in 16 regular season games. A lot of teams were counting on him this year and if you were one of them, you probably missed your playoffs. Jackson will be drafted as a WR3 next year, but I’m a glutton for punishment. Take the chance and hope he has turned that corner.

Titans Offense-To be blunt, it’s stinky. There isn’t a single decent receiver on the roster and the running backs are an injury waiting to happen. Vince Young is as athletic as they come and it would be nice to see what he could do with an above average target. But how this team made the playoffs is a mystery of mysteries. Chris Brown, LenDale White and Chris Henry are a fantasy owner’s nightmare. Not that they are lousy, but who is going to get the carries from week to week? Kicker Rob Bironas might be the most reliable player fantasywise. Go get a wide receiver Jeff Fisher and maybe we’ll talk. Otherwise, I’ll be staying the heck away.

Questions or Comments? Write me at garymacfantasygod@live.com

Gary's Sports Blog-News and Notes for Week of 1-21

News and Notes for Week of 1-21

NBA

Stephon Marbury-PG-Knicks-If you’re like me and you wasted a fairly early draft pick on Starbury, it’s time to lose the dead weight. Stephon seemed disinterested since the season began and now is likely gone for the year, following ankle surgery. Pickup Nate Robinson immediately! Technically, Robinson is still coming off the bench, but he’s getting starters minutes and starters stats.

Tracy McGrady-F-Rockets-McGrady is finally back and should be put back into your lineup immediately. He played signifigant minutes in his first game back Friday night and you should activate him now. Luther Head loses pretty much all value thanks to McGrady’s return.

Jermaine O’Neal-C-Pacers-Another guy, like Marbury, who seems like he could care less. O’Neal has been unhappy all year long and now he can blame his lackadaisical attitude on his bum knee. He’ll miss at least the next two weeks and he’s even talking like he might just take the rest of the season off, so reserve him ASAP. Troy Murphy and Jeff Foster will see a bump while Jermaine sits.

Mike Bibby-PG-Kings-He’s not the player he used to be, but Bibby can still be a serviceable point guard. He’s missed the entire season with a torn ligament in his thumb, but returned last week and should be active in almost all leagues. If Bibby was left for dead and is on the waiver wire, grab him today! And kiss Francisco Garcia’s value good-bye.

Randy Foye-PG-Wolves-Foye is another one who has not played all season, in his case due to a stress reaction in his knee. But Foye has been cleared to return to practice and if you’ve got room on your bench, you should stash him away. The team expects him back in the lineup around the end of the month and the team with the league’s worst record could certainly use him.

Gilbert Arenas-PG-Wizards-Another guy who you should not forget about, just in case somebody dumped him in your league. The Wizards leading scorer has resumed shooting following knee surgery and it’s looking like he might be back in the lineup following the All-Star break. Hopefully, somebody in your league was shortsighted enough to dump him when reports surfaced a while back that he might be out for the entire year.

NHL

Sidney Crosby-C-Penguins-Of course, the lead story has been the high ankle sprain suffered by Sid the Kid. If you’ve got him on your squad, hold on to your butt. He was more than likely leading your squad, but you might have to get used to life without him for a while. High ankle sprains are tricky and the Pens are not saying much about the injury. He could be back after this weekend’s All-Star break or he could be out until March.

Paul Stastny-C-Avalanche-The Colorado center will miss the next several weeks after going under the knife for an appendectomy.

Antero Nittymaki-G-Flyers-The Flyers continue to ride the red hot goaltending of Nittymaki, who is 6-0-1 over the last 7 games. Never one to show much loyalty towards goaltenders, the Flyers have given Martin Biron just three starts this month, so if you have to have one goalie today, it should be Nittymaki.

Shawn Matthias-C-Panthers-If you’re looking for a young guy who should be available in almost all leagues, Matthias might be it. The 19 year old has made an immediate impact, scoring twice in his first two games. Take a chance that he sticks around.

Peter Forsberg-C-Free Agent-Rumors are swirling that Peter the Great is getting ready to return to the NHL. It’s also rumored the Flyers might be his prime target if he does come stateside. Got room on your bench? Stash him away. He could make the difference down the home stretch.

Remember, have fun. And write me at garymacfantasygod@live.com.