First Fantasy - Blog Edition

First Fantasy - Stop Mocking Me! (ESPN Part Two)

Another place where I differ greatly with ESPN’s rankings are in the matter of D-Lee. They have him ranked in the mid-sixties, which is ridiculous for a guy of his talents. Sure he won’t run like he used to, but he’s still a great hitter in a stacked lineup who should have no problem going 100-30-110-.300-10. Yeah, I’ll take those numbers in the sixth round any day. Matsui was taken far too early, but it’s by the same team who splurged on Derek Jeter in Round Two for no real reason, so at this point I’m willing to write him out as a New York dope and move on. Three more people paying for saves in this round, all three of them making me sad. Pena is a great value here for Team 3, as nobody hit more bombs after the All-Star break than him. Definitely good pickup. Furcal…I don’t even know what to say. I think that pick was more about position scarcity, but he’s essentially a player that gives you speed and little else. If I want that, I’ll wait til the end of the draft and go for Dave “The Ancient One” Roberts, thanks.

I’m thrilled with what I did here. Getting Martin this late, who will give me 20 HRs and 30 steals from the catcher position, is an absolute coup. He is normally a Top 40 selection, so to get him here in Round Seven is tremendous. Two more people paying for saves here, and even though I think Rivera will bounce back in ’08, Round Seven is too early for his services. Guillen is a steal here, as he’s normally selected Top 50 in most drafts. Same with Hamels, as many are predicting “The Camel” to challenge Santana, Peavy, and Webb for the NL Cy Young. Team 6 paid too much for name recognition, as I don’t like Konerko at all going into 2008. Team 8 made another bonehead move, picking Hawpe over Sheffield or any of the other young sexy outfielders still on the board.

Another coup for First Fantasy! Atkins is a borderline Top 50 player who plays in a hitter’s park and in one of baseball’s best lineup, so to snag him in Round Eight is nothing short of fantastic. I almost want to stop talking about Team 8, as more than half their picks now have been bad, but Lowell is so bad it deserves mention. If you think Lowell repeats 2007’s numbers, I know a Nigerian Prince who has a business transaction you might be interested in. Team 5 got a great value for Haren, who will likely only improve on his ’07 stats with a move to a better team and from the AL to the NL. A Haren with more wins and a lower ERA? I strongly considered it. Pence is also great value in this round, as if he can stay healthy, he’s a Top 50 talent at the top of a good lineup in a hitter’s park.

Dear lord did I have my eye on Hart. I love his potential heading into 2008. He put up monster numbers in’07 in his first shot at a full-time gig, and he’s just 25 years old. Let’s also remember that he hits ahead of proven baseball killers Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun, which means he’ll see plenty of good pitches. Another classic Team 8 move came here, with the pick of Kent over my selection, Kinsler. Kent is older than John McCain, and while he’s a lock for 20 home runs, that’s all you get out of him. Kinsler will hit the same 20 bombs while swiping 20 bags and scoring a ton of runs.  Some have predicted Kinsler may outperform Robinson Cano at second base, and I don’t see any reason why that can’t happen.

This might be my biggest gripe with ESPN’s rankings. How can you rank Chris B. Young in the nineties? He’s a 20/20 guy for certain with 30/30 upside! Sure he’ll kill your BA, but so will Adam Dunn and Paul Konerko, and they’re ranked far ahead of CBY. Young to me is easily a Top 60 player, so for me to get his speed and power in the tenth is an absolute blessing. The .330 Miguel Cabrera will hit easily balances out the .260 CBY will put up, and 20/20 guys are invaluable in fantasy. Team 8, again, picking like garbage. I really think he/she knows nothing about baseball and is just going off name recognition or 2007’s numbers. He undoubtedly is the worst manager in this league. Catchers McCann and Posada are great value here, as they usually go for much higher. I think the Beltre pick is a bit high, as I can think of several hot corner guys I’d rather have who are still on the board than wasting this pick on Rocky’s lover. I also don’t like the Ibanez pick here, as you know he won’t be anything but slightly above average. Yawn. Too tame a selection for this early in the draft. If anyone can find me an example of where Raul Ibanez has won you a league, I’d sure love to hear it.