2011 Fantasy Baseball Draft Cheatsheet
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Top 12 Picks:
1. Albert Pujols/1B/Cardinals: The man is a model of consistency and the closest thing to a guarantee as you will get in fantasy sports. He has never batted under .300 in his career, has never hit less than 30 hrs and 100 rbi...oh, and he's in a contract year.
2. Hanley Ramirez/SS/Marlins: Took a bit of a step back last year production wise but look for him to rebound nicely this year. There aren't many guys who can hit 25+ hrs, 100+ rbi, 30+ sb, bat over .300 and score 100 runs...and they certainly don't play shortstop.
3. Carlos Gonzalez/OF/Rockies: Cargo had a breakout year of monumental proportion last season. You can easily make the argument that he had the best fantasy season out of anyone last year, and should be primed to do so once again. He puts up Hanley Ramirez numbers with a little more pop and it certainly helps that he plays in one of the most hitter friendly ballparks in baseball.
4. Joey Votto/1B/Reds: Votto is as solid as it gets at the 1B position. He can hit for a high average, consistantly drives in runs, and it seems like everyday he posts a 2 for 4 line day in and day out which helps you sleep at night in head to head leagues. Has deceptive speed and will occasionally swipe a bag for you which is more than you can expect from a first baseman.
5. Ryan Braun/OF/Brewers: Posted legitimate numbers last season despite battling injury throughout. He's healthy now, still protected in the lineup by Prince Fielder, and with the addition of Zach Grienke, the Brewers should be playing for something come August which is when he typically posts his best numbers. Look for him to bounce back and have a huge year, and now that he's healthy, expect his stolen base numbers to creep back up to where they were in 2009.
6. Robinson Cano/2B/Yankees: The 2B position in fantasy baseball traditionally lacks depth. Outside the top 3 the production drops significantly. Last year Cano really separated himself from the rest of the pack. He plays in one of the most dynamic batting lineups in baseball, in a ballpark that is very friendly to left handed hitters, so the rbi oppurtunities and at bats will be plentiful.
7. Carl Crawford/OF/Red Sox: When you are in the top 3 in stolen bases every year, you are bound to be a coveted asset in fantasy baseball. What makes Crawford elite is the fact that he can hit for some power and drive in runs along with it. Making the move to Fenway will only bolster his stats, and the fact that there aren't many catchers in the AL East that can throw anyone out will certainly keep those stolen base numbers up. I can see Crawford slapping many opposite field line drives off the green monster this year on his way to a career season.
8. Alex Rodriguez/3B/Yankees: Yes, he is getting older...can he play 3B everyday...probably not. Regardless, as long as he is still batting cleanup in one of the deadliest lineups in all of baseball, he will still put up top 10 fantasy numbers. In a down year in which he was still recovering from injury, and spent significant time on the DL, he still hit 30 hrs and drove in 125 rbi.
9. Evan Longoria/3B/Rays: 3B is another position that lacks depth. Longoria is just behind Arod on the list of elite third baseman, and should continue to post huge numbers. Don't underestimate the addition of Manny Ramirez as a DH possibly protecting Longoria in the lineup.
10. Josh Hamilton/OF/Texas: The only question with Hamilton is his health. If he is healthy, he can easily move into the top 3 on this list, but that is a very big if. Even last season, in an MVP year, he spent a decent amount of time on the DL. With Hamilton it is always high risk, high reward.
11. Roy Halladay/SP/Phillies: I'm not one to draft pitchers early on because there is just so much depth at the position, but Halladay is the exception. Not only is he the most elite pitcher in baseball, but now he has the added motivation of being the ace of a rotation filled with aces. He will pitch to an absurdly low era and whip, and his strikouts and wins will be near the top.
12. Buster Posey/C/1B/Giants: Call me crazy on this one, but is there a position that lacks more talent than the catcher position? In any given league, there will be only 3 teams that get any kind of worthwhile consistant production from this position. Most of the time, it becomes a revolving door filled with guys from the waiver wire. All Posey did last year was hit 18 hrs and 67 rbi and bat .305 after being called up in late May. He plays just about everyday, and the fact that he is first base eligible just adds to his value. Last season, to keep his hot bat in the lineup, the Giants would play him at first base on nights that he would normally have off from catcher. This has extreme value, and his certainly worth consideration at the 12th pick and wrap around.
Just Missed: Miguel Cabrera (You know why), Ryan Howard, David Wright (Citi Field is killing him), Prince Fielder
Top 10 Sleeper/Value Picks:
1. Jason Heyward/OF/Braves: Can you really consider him a sleeper? He is going to hit 30+ hrs, 100+ rbi, and steal around 15-20 bases.
2. Derek Jeter/SS/Yankees: Don't count out the captain. The same intangible that has made him who he is, will be the same reason why he bounces back this year and makes last year look like a fluke. Expect him to hit .295 and score well over 100 runs.
3. Clayton Kershaw/SP/Dodgers: Again, not quite a sleeper, but he is in the fact that he will probably be the 12th or 13th pitcher drafted, yet finish in the top 5 in fantasy stats. Look for Mattingly to take off the training wheels this year which will lead to Cy Young caliber numbers.
4. Gordon Beckham/2B/White Sox: Got off to a slow start last year, and then went on a tear toward the end of the season to ultimately keep him in the big leagues. Now with a lot less pressure and hype, look for him to have the season he was supposed to have last year.
5. Pablo Sandoval/3B/1B/Giants: He lost 40 lbs in the off-season which is a testiment to his devotion to getting back to where he was during the 2009 season. Expect the 2009 numbers this year, especially with a much better team around him.
6. Delmon Young/OF/Twins: Don't for one second think that last year was a fluke. That was simply what he was expected to do since he was a highly touted prospect in the Rays farm system.
7. Jeremy Hellickson/SP/Rays: The Rays confidence in Hellickson is the reason they were so comfortable trading Matt Garza this off-season. Hellickson will be electric this year, and outpitch 60% of the pitchers that get drafted ahead of him
8. Chris Coghlan/OF/Marlins: The common theme here is players that had great 2009 seasons and then slumped last year. Coghlan is another player that will rebound and have a strong 2011
9. Carlos Zambrano/SP/Cubs: We know all about his history as a headcase, but he hit rock bottom last year. It was a humbling, eye opening experience for him. Once he settled back into his starting role, he started to look a lot like the old "Big Z". With a lot less pressure on him this year, expect him to be a solid late round option.
10. Matt Capps/RP/Twins: Even though Joe Nathan is expected to return from Tommy John surgery, don't expect him to make it the entire season. Matt Capps finished 5th in saves last year, so if he is given the opportunity to close he will be very productive. Keep a close eye on him.
Top 5 By Position:
Catcher
1. Buster Posey
2. Brian McCann
3. Joe Mauer
4. Matt Wieters
5. Victor Martinez
First Base
1. Albert Pujols
2. Joey Votto
3. Kevin Youkilis
4. Miguel Cabrera
5. Ryan Howard
Second Base
1. Robinson Cano
2. Chase Utley
3. Dustin Pedroia
4. Ian Kinsler
5. Dan Uggla
Shortstop
1. Hanley Ramirez
2. Jose Reyes
3. Troy Tulowitzki
4. Derek Jeter
5. Alexei Ramirez
Third Base
1. Alex Rodriguez
2. Evan Longoria
3. David Wright
4. Adrian Beltre
5. Ryan Zimmerman
Outfield
1. Carlos Gonzalez
2. Ryan Braun
3. Carl Crawford
4. Josh Hamilton
5. Jason Heyward
Designated Hitter
1. Manny Ramirez
2. David Ortiz
3. Vladimir Guerrero
4. Jorge Posada
5. Jim Thome
Starting Pitcher
1. Roy Halladay
2. Felix Hernandez
3. Josh Johnson
4. Cliff Lee
5. Clayton Kershaw
Relief Pitcher
1. Brian Wilson
2. Mariano Rivera
3. Carlos Marmol
4. Heath Bell
5. Joakim Soria
-AT
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