2008 Woodie Awards
Get out of my dreams and into my lineup
Tony Meale
Issue date: 3/9/06 Section: Sports
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For many people, when they think March, they think Madness. Bubble teams, conference tournaments, Selection Sunday and bracket pools steal much of the sports spotlight. But for others, March means something more than just the NCAA Tournament-namely, fantasy baseball. Here are a few helpful hints for a successful draft.
First Base
This position might be the deepest of any position in fantasy sports; four of the top eight players in the 2006 fantasy baseball rankings (Albert Pujols, Mark Teixiera, David Ortiz and Derrek Lee) are first basemen. You can expect 40 home runs and 120 RBIs from any of these players, but do not worry if you cannot grab one of them in the opening round, for there are still many other quality first basemen available. Two such players are Ryan Howard and Jason Giambi. Howard appeared in just 88 games for the Phillies last season, but still hit 22 home runs and knocked in 63 runs. Over the course of an entire season, Howard could put numbers comparable to any of the four players listed above. Giambi, meanwhile, got off to an abysmal start last season, but hit 22 home runs and had 55 RBIs last year after the All-Star break, en route to being named the Comeback Player of the Year. Forty homers and 100 RBIs are not out of the question for the former AL MVP.
Second Base
Many analysts consider this position to be the weakest in fantasy baseball, but it is getting better. No longer is Alfonso Soriano the lone second baseman capable of making key contributions to your fantasy team. In fact, now that Soriano has left the offensive machine that is the Texas Rangers for the pitcher's ballpark that is RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., it would be foolish to expect him to repeat last year's performance of 36 homers, 104 RBIs, 102 runs and 30 stolen bases. And with his status of playing second base this year still up in the air (the Nats want him in the outfield), let someone else deal with the Soriano headache.
The two best alternatives to Soriano are Chase Utley and Chone Figgins. Utley had a breakout season with the Phillies last year, and you can expect much of the same this season-a .300 batting average, 30 homers, 100 RBI, 100 runs and 20 stolen bases are not out of the question. Figgins won't get you many homers or RBIs, but he'll score over 100 runs, bat around .300 and steal close to 60 bases, and his versatility allows you to play him at first base or in the outfield.
First Base
This position might be the deepest of any position in fantasy sports; four of the top eight players in the 2006 fantasy baseball rankings (Albert Pujols, Mark Teixiera, David Ortiz and Derrek Lee) are first basemen. You can expect 40 home runs and 120 RBIs from any of these players, but do not worry if you cannot grab one of them in the opening round, for there are still many other quality first basemen available. Two such players are Ryan Howard and Jason Giambi. Howard appeared in just 88 games for the Phillies last season, but still hit 22 home runs and knocked in 63 runs. Over the course of an entire season, Howard could put numbers comparable to any of the four players listed above. Giambi, meanwhile, got off to an abysmal start last season, but hit 22 home runs and had 55 RBIs last year after the All-Star break, en route to being named the Comeback Player of the Year. Forty homers and 100 RBIs are not out of the question for the former AL MVP.
Second Base
Many analysts consider this position to be the weakest in fantasy baseball, but it is getting better. No longer is Alfonso Soriano the lone second baseman capable of making key contributions to your fantasy team. In fact, now that Soriano has left the offensive machine that is the Texas Rangers for the pitcher's ballpark that is RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., it would be foolish to expect him to repeat last year's performance of 36 homers, 104 RBIs, 102 runs and 30 stolen bases. And with his status of playing second base this year still up in the air (the Nats want him in the outfield), let someone else deal with the Soriano headache.
The two best alternatives to Soriano are Chase Utley and Chone Figgins. Utley had a breakout season with the Phillies last year, and you can expect much of the same this season-a .300 batting average, 30 homers, 100 RBI, 100 runs and 20 stolen bases are not out of the question. Figgins won't get you many homers or RBIs, but he'll score over 100 runs, bat around .300 and steal close to 60 bases, and his versatility allows you to play him at first base or in the outfield.