Given that this is a fantasy sports site, and given that most of us are star multi-sport GM's (at least in our own minds), I would be remiss if I didn't mention that I had my first fantasy football draft of 2009 last night. I would also be remiss if I didn't briefly mention my roster (it's more or less a standard setup, but we do start two QB's and award 0.25 points per reception):
Starting LineupQB: Drew Brees
QB: Ben Roethlisberger
RB: Steve Slaton
RB: Darren McFadden (hate that I'm gonna start him Week 1 but can't resist)
WR: Anquan Boldin
WR: Chad Ochocinco
WR: Donnie Avery
TE: Kellen Winslow
K: Didn't draft one – no reason to waste a roster spot on one yet
DEF: Cowboys
Bench: Kevin Smith, Kyle Orton, Felix Jones, Chris Wells, Chris Henry, Josh Morgan, Glen Coffee, Davone Bess, James Davis
Three brief thoughts about this squad:
1) I'm terrified that the productivity of my top two WR's is hinging on the health of one extremely brittle quarterback and another who had a red flag stapled to his elbow all last year.
2) I have a terrible feeling that my decision to draft Kyle Orton over Ray Rice is going to cause me to pull out all but about two of my teeth with a pair of pliers (partially because I have already pulled out six teeth in the 14 or so hours since my draft transpired). In my defense, starting QB's who put up decent stats (as I think Orton will) are drastically more valuable when you start two of them, and I already had plenty of good backs, but still – given all the love that Rice is getting
around these parts, I already hate myself for failing to draft him. (And, there goes my left incisor.)
3) The regular season cannot possibly start soon enough.
With that said, I remain extremely dedicated to combing the waiver wire with the utmost vigor as we scratch and claw like Jolt Cola-infused hyenas in an effort to gain every point imaginable in our respective baseball leagues. So, let us begin:
MIXED LEAGUEChris Davis, 1B/3B, TEX (Yahoo: 36 percent owned; ESPN: 64 percent)
He dropped a gigantic incendiary grenade on your batting average and/or OBP during his first stint in the majors this season, but the 23-year-old hit .327 after being sent down to the minors and can easily hit at a .260-.270 clip while providing ample power the rest of the way. It looks like he's already been reacquired in a lot of leagues, but make sure he's not still hovering on waivers in yours.
John Smoltz, SP, STL (Yahoo: 35 percent owned; ESPN: 15 percent)
Yes, it was the Padres, but Smoltz still looked stellar in his return to the NL last Sunday (five innings, three hits, no runs, no walks, nine K's) and should continue to post solid numbers the rest of the way. The fact is, he had never completely lost his stuff despite some struggles in Boston, and rather than harp on his ERA (7.40) and WHIP (1.58), I'm looking at his 42/9 K/BB in 45 innings as a strong sign that he can pull a
Ricky Nolasco and get his season fully turned around. I wouldn't hesitate to add Smoltz in any format, and there's nothing wrong with the matchup against Washington on Friday.
For exclusive second half projections, player rankings and more, check out Rotoworld's Late-Season Report.Jack Cust, OF, OAK (Yahoo: 17 percent owned; ESPN: 20 percent)
I've mentioned him approximately 64 times in this column in 2009, but this time I'm serious (actually, I was serious all the other times, but Cust kept letting me down). In any case, Dr. Uppercut has settled into a very strong groove of late, hitting .522 (12-for-23) with four homers, seven RBI and a .607 OBP in his last seven games. I've been waiting for the big power surge all year long, and with 20 homers now, I would not be remotely surprised to see Cust surpass 30 for the second straight season. Get on board for the stretch run.
Julio Borbon, OF, TEX (Yahoo: 10 percent owned; ESPN: 6 percent)
Now that the Rangers have cleared a lineup spot for Borbon against right-handers by sending
Hank Blalock to the bench, it's time to add this rather swift individual if you're chasing speed. Borbon has begun his career hitting .415 (17-for-41) with a homer, 12 runs, eight RBI and nine steals. The 23-year-old obviously won't stay this hot, but he was hitting .307 with 25 steals at Triple-A this season, and the speed and spot atop a potent order make him well worth your consideration.
Pat Burrell, OF, TB (Yahoo: 26 percent owned; ESPN: 51 percent)
It has been a decidedly forgettable season for Pat the Bat (his current 741 OPS would be the second-lowest of his 10-year career), but he has shown signs of life lately. In addition to drilling five homers with 12 RBI this month, Burrell has six multi-hit games in his last nine, hitting .400 (14-for-35) during that stretch. And in the course of writing that, I convinced myself to add him in a mixed league (for the record, I dropped
Kyle Blanks, whom I still like, but less so when he's slowed by trouble with the dreaded plantar fascia).
Ryan Roberts, 2B/3B/OF, ARI (Yahoo: 3 percent owned; ESPN: 2 percent)
It has been a dreadful wasteland of a season in Arizona, but there are still positives that can come of such a situation, with Roberts – a 28-year-old getting his first extended big league look – being a prime example. In 206 at-bats this season, Roberts (who has been hitting at the top of the Arizona order lately) has six homers, six steals and an 833 OPS, and has raised his season average from .263 to .296 while hitting four of those bombs this month. And on another positive note, he's showing signs that the hot streak could continue by hitting .563 (9-for-16) with a homer, four RBI and a steal in his last four games.
Given that this is a fantasy sports site, and given that most of us are star multi-sport GM's (at least in our own minds), I would be remiss if I didn't mention that I had my first fantasy football draft of 2009 last night. I would also be remiss if I didn't briefly mention my roster (it's more or less a standard setup, but we do start two QB's and award 0.25 points per reception):
Starting LineupQB: Drew Brees
QB: Ben Roethlisberger
RB: Steve Slaton
RB: Darren McFadden (hate that I'm gonna start him Week 1 but can't resist)
WR: Anquan Boldin
WR: Chad Ochocinco
WR: Donnie Avery
TE: Kellen Winslow
K: Didn't draft one – no reason to waste a roster spot on one yet
DEF: Cowboys
Bench: Kevin Smith, Kyle Orton, Felix Jones, Chris Wells, Chris Henry, Josh Morgan, Glen Coffee, Davone Bess, James Davis
Three brief thoughts about this squad:
1) I'm terrified that the productivity of my top two WR's is hinging on the health of one extremely brittle quarterback and another who had a red flag stapled to his elbow all last year.
2) I have a terrible feeling that my decision to draft Kyle Orton over Ray Rice is going to cause me to pull out all but about two of my teeth with a pair of pliers (partially because I have already pulled out six teeth in the 14 or so hours since my draft transpired). In my defense, starting QB's who put up decent stats (as I think Orton will) are drastically more valuable when you start two of them, and I already had plenty of good backs, but still – given all the love that Rice is getting
around these parts, I already hate myself for failing to draft him. (And, there goes my left incisor.)
3) The regular season cannot possibly start soon enough.
With that said, I remain extremely dedicated to combing the waiver wire with the utmost vigor as we scratch and claw like Jolt Cola-infused hyenas in an effort to gain every point imaginable in our respective baseball leagues. So, let us begin:
MIXED LEAGUEChris Davis, 1B/3B, TEX (Yahoo: 36 percent owned; ESPN: 64 percent)
He dropped a gigantic incendiary grenade on your batting average and/or OBP during his first stint in the majors this season, but the 23-year-old hit .327 after being sent down to the minors and can easily hit at a .260-.270 clip while providing ample power the rest of the way. It looks like he's already been reacquired in a lot of leagues, but make sure he's not still hovering on waivers in yours.
John Smoltz, SP, STL (Yahoo: 35 percent owned; ESPN: 15 percent)
Yes, it was the Padres, but Smoltz still looked stellar in his return to the NL last Sunday (five innings, three hits, no runs, no walks, nine K's) and should continue to post solid numbers the rest of the way. The fact is, he had never completely lost his stuff despite some struggles in Boston, and rather than harp on his ERA (7.40) and WHIP (1.58), I'm looking at his 42/9 K/BB in 45 innings as a strong sign that he can pull a
Ricky Nolasco and get his season fully turned around. I wouldn't hesitate to add Smoltz in any format, and there's nothing wrong with the matchup against Washington on Friday.
For exclusive second half projections, player rankings and more, check out Rotoworld's Late-Season Report.Jack Cust, OF, OAK (Yahoo: 17 percent owned; ESPN: 20 percent)
I've mentioned him approximately 64 times in this column in 2009, but this time I'm serious (actually, I was serious all the other times, but Cust kept letting me down). In any case, Dr. Uppercut has settled into a very strong groove of late, hitting .522 (12-for-23) with four homers, seven RBI and a .607 OBP in his last seven games. I've been waiting for the big power surge all year long, and with 20 homers now, I would not be remotely surprised to see Cust surpass 30 for the second straight season. Get on board for the stretch run.
Julio Borbon, OF, TEX (Yahoo: 10 percent owned; ESPN: 6 percent)
Now that the Rangers have cleared a lineup spot for Borbon against right-handers by sending
Hank Blalock to the bench, it's time to add this rather swift individual if you're chasing speed. Borbon has begun his career hitting .415 (17-for-41) with a homer, 12 runs, eight RBI and nine steals. The 23-year-old obviously won't stay this hot, but he was hitting .307 with 25 steals at Triple-A this season, and the speed and spot atop a potent order make him well worth your consideration.
Pat Burrell, OF, TB (Yahoo: 26 percent owned; ESPN: 51 percent)
It has been a decidedly forgettable season for Pat the Bat (his current 741 OPS would be the second-lowest of his 10-year career), but he has shown signs of life lately. In addition to drilling five homers with 12 RBI this month, Burrell has six multi-hit games in his last nine, hitting .400 (14-for-35) during that stretch. And in the course of writing that, I convinced myself to add him in a mixed league (for the record, I dropped
Kyle Blanks, whom I still like, but less so when he's slowed by trouble with the dreaded plantar fascia).
Ryan Roberts, 2B/3B/OF, ARI (Yahoo: 3 percent owned; ESPN: 2 percent)
It has been a dreadful wasteland of a season in Arizona, but there are still positives that can come of such a situation, with Roberts – a 28-year-old getting his first extended big league look – being a prime example. In 206 at-bats this season, Roberts (who has been hitting at the top of the Arizona order lately) has six homers, six steals and an 833 OPS, and has raised his season average from .263 to .296 while hitting four of those bombs this month. And on another positive note, he's showing signs that the hot streak could continue by hitting .563 (9-for-16) with a homer, four RBI and a steal in his last four games.
Travis Hafner, DH, CLE (Yahoo: 19 percent owned; ESPN: 45 percent)
He's still not quite playing every day due to lingering discomfort in his surgically-repaired shoulder, and he still has the dreaded Util/DH eligibility, which helps explain his low ownership number in Yahoo leagues above. With those concerns aside, if you can find room at your Util spot, the infuriatingly diminished but still potentially productive DH has hit .364 (8-for-22) in his last five games with two homers and seven RBI. Despite his considerable limitations, Hafner still has plenty of power left – he has 13 homers in 252 at-bats this season.
Marc Rzepczynski, SP, TOR (Yahoo: 5 percent owned; ESPN: 1 percent)
If I were writing a really cheesy graphic for a TV infomercial, it would read: BUY NOW! ONLY ONE START LEFT! That's right – the Jays have announced plans to shut down Rzepczynski (whose name I remarkably spelled correctly right there without looking it up) after his next start, so it's time, as Too $hort once said, to get it while the gettin' is good. Rzepczynski has posted a 1.96 ERA in his last three starts, and has a respectable 3.58 ERA and 1.28 WHIP with 51 K's in 55.1 innings this season.
On a less positive note, his last start is scheduled to be at Texas, but if you're hunting for quality spot starts and looking to make up ground in the standings at this late stage of the season, I wouldn't be afraid to take a chance on Rzepczynski's Last Stand.
Charlie Haeger, SP, LAD (Yahoo: 3 percent owned; ESPN: 1 percent)
I know a lot of us are playing the game I like to call Spot Starter Roulette these days, and with that in mind, I'm intrigued by Haeger's scheduled start against Cincinnati on Thursday. The Reds have averaged just 3.4 runs in their last nine games, and the 25-year-old knuckleballer has looked impressive in his first two starts, posting a 1.93 ERA and 0.86 WHIP with a 9/4 K/BB ratio in 14 innings. Those numbers will eventually regress (Haeger had a respectable but not dominant 3.55 ERA in 144.2 innings at Triple-A), but for now he has the advantage of facing a sub par lineup that has never seen his wacky knuckler before.
Ryan Rowland-Smith, SP, SEA (Yahoo: 4 percent owned; ESPN: 2 percent)
And since we're feeling so lucky with our spot starter bonanza – for the record, I never play this game unless I'm desperate, but at some point in the season it becomes inevitable if you hope to make a run – say hello to
Ryan Rowland-Smith. The bespectacled Seattle lefty with the hyphenated last name has a respectable 4.05 ERA and 1.20 WHIP (with a 26/16 K/BB ratio in 46.2 innings), not to mention a matchup at friendly Safeco against the fifth-lowest-scoring offense in the majors (the Royals) on Sunday.
The bad news (and there is often bad news when we play Spot Starter Roulette) is that the Royals start a gentleman named
Zack Greinke, fresh off a dominant 15-K outing against Cleveland. However, Greinke did throw a season-high 117 pitches in that game, so perhaps he's due for a little bit of a letdown (says the wishful-thinking, spot-start-recommending fool).
AL-ONLYCarlos Carrasco, SP, CLE (Yahoo: 0 percent owned; ESPN: 0 percent)
One of the key pieces acquired from Philly in the more lopsided every time
Cliff Lee takes the mound
Cliff Lee trade, Carrasco is expected to be among the Indians' callups when rosters expand Sept. 1. The 22-year-old righty has looked strong since joining Triple-A Columbus, going 4-1 with a 3.57 ERA and 33/6 K/BB ratio in 35.1 innings. If you're in need of pitching in an AL league, consider making a preemptive add now and then posting a completely gratuitous message on the bulletin board declaring how forward-thinking you are for having done so (at which point your league mates will tell you to please desist from your buffoonery).
Michael Aubrey, 1B, BAL (Yahoo: 0 percent owned; ESPN: 0 percent)
It didn't look like he was in line for a lot of at-bats after being called up last week, but the left-handed-hitting Aubrey had started three straight games entering Thursday and looks like a safe bet to play against right-handers for the time being. The 26-year-old has hit .375 (6-for-16) with three RBI since his call-up after hitting .290 with eight homers, 29 doubles and 52 RBI at Triple-A this year.
NL-ONLYBrandon Allen, 1B, ARI (Yahoo: 0 percent owned; ESPN: 0 percent)
The D'Backs' first base carousel has been about as depressing as a Ben Stein roll call in
Ferris Bueller's Day Off this season – Tracy… Clark… Whitesell… Frye… Whitesell… Bueller – but the team appears to have finally settled on an option with some upside in Allen, who hit .324 with 12 homers and 32 RBI in 145 at-bats at Triple-A Reno after being acquired in July for Tony Pena.
Of course, whatever bad karma has infected first base in Arizona has caused Allen to begin his career 2-for-12 with four strikeouts, but I'd still claim him if he's out there in an NL-only league and hope that the D'Backs pursue logic and give the 23-year-old a chance to prove himself down the stretch.
Eric Young Jr., 2B, COL (Yahoo: 1 percent owned; ESPN: 1 percent)
He and his dad didn't quite high-five as E.Y. Sr. left the field for the last time, but father and son were surprisingly close to a career overlap (the elder Eric last played in the majors in 2006). As for the younger incarnation (pun more or less intended), he had an eye-catching, flashy, beep-beep-beep sound-making 58 steals at Triple-A this season along with 21 doubles, 10 triples and seven homers. Which is to say that he's an exciting player. And at the moment, with regular center fielder
Dexter Fowler on the DL due to a bruised knee, this exciting player has an opportunity for at-bats.
Young started each of the Rockies' first two games after being called up, though it should be noted that the Dodgers started a lefty both times, and entering Thursday's matinee, we had yet to see how Jim Tracy would use him against a right-hander. However – and here's the reason to add him in NL-only leagues – it should also be noted that Young showed no fear of abruptly leaving first base, going 3-for-8 at the plate and racing for second twice (though he got caught both times). I shall similarly show no hesitation in abruptly leaving this column right now.