Fantasy Baseball Rankings VIII: Wrap-up and Summary

It hope this series of rankings has given you some insight into what I'm thinking when rating players at various positions. The key then during a draft is to maximize your production and value at each spot on your roster. You can end up with some great players, but if you draft them at the supposed wrong spot (for example, taking Santana overall #1), you hurt your team through the loss of opportunity cost for players with supposed higher value. This even applies in the middle of drafts (especially with regard to closers and one category players such as Willy Taveras).

One of the important aspects to consider is whether the player you target will be available during your next pick. You will know this by keeping track of other teams' positional and categorical needs. This is also where tiers come into play. For example, if you are targeting a shortstop within the next couple of picks, and Rafael Furcal is your only remaining shortstop in the highest remaining tier, pick him if the teams picking after you already have their shortstops. This is not 100% foolproof because some people (myself included) will take a pick deemed to be a "great value" even if the position is already filled. The UTIL spot is also a consideration in this regard.
If you want to discuss any fantasy baseball strategy, please leave a comment or e-mail me at powerdgr19@gmail.com. I like to hear other peoples's insights and differences of opinion. Because at the end, this is what this all is, educated guesses and opinions. I am just an experienced amateur, like everyone else with a set goal in mind for each draft.

My first draft is Sunday. Wish me luck!

Check the "rankings" label on the sidebar to see all comments together and the "draft" label for other drafting comments.

Fantasy Baseball Rankings VII: Quick Hits- Third Basemen and DHs

This is the last installment of rankings for this season. I ran out of time to make the detailed charts since my first draft is this Sunday.

Third base is a surprisingly shallow position at the top end. There are not many 4-5 category contributors compared to outfield or first base. It also a position where there are many players with multiple-position eligibility (i.e. Miguel Cabrera, Jorge Cantu listed in other rankings). After each player's name is their "strength" categories and where I expect them to be drafted.

Tier 1

David Wright (HR, RBI, R, AVG, SB) (1st round)

Tier 2

Alex Rodriguez (HR, RBI, R, AVG, SB) (3rd-4th round because of injury)

Chipper Jones (AVG, RBI, R) (4th-6th round)

Aramis Ramirez (R, HR, RBI) (4th-6th round)

Evan Longoria (R, HR, RBI (3rd-5th round)

Tier 3

Ryan Zimmerman (R, HR, RBI) (6th-10th round)

Chone Figgins (R, SB) (6th-8th round)

Adrian Beltre (HR) (8th-12th round)

Michael Young (R, AVG) (4th- 6th round) (SS eligibility)

Mike Lowell (HR, RBI) (6th-10th round)

Edwin Encarnacion (HR) (8th-12th round)

Garrett Atkins (HR, RBI) (4th-8th round)

Alex Gordon (R, HR, RBI) (8th round-12th round)

Tier 4

Scott Rolen (injury risk)

Troy Glaus (injured)

Mark Reynolds (200 K, low AVG)

Casey Blake (20 HR power)

Pablo Sandoval (doesn't walk, C eligibility)

Mark DeRosa (career best at age 33, 2B eligibility)

Melvin Mora (RBI)

DHs are players I might have forgotten about previously because they slot into UTIL only (in most cases). Here's the quick list of relevant DHs to consider drafting. All of their main contributions are in power categories.

David Ortiz (4th-8th round)
Jim Thome (10th-14th round)
Jason Giambi (10th-14th round)
Travis Hafner (10th-14th round)
Billy Butler (14th-18th round)
Gary Sheffield (14th-18th round)

Fantasy Baseball Rankings VI: Quick Hits-Starting Pitchers

Below is my fantasy rankings for starting pitchers. The tiers refer to similar groupings of players. I haven't specified rankings within the tiers...that I leave up to the individual drafter. Starting pitching has a lot of similarly projected players within their midsts. Also, there is a much higher risk of injury compared with other positions. There are three schools of thought when drafting starting pitchers:

1) Hoard the aces: Draft two or more guys who you consider an ace by choosing two starting pitchers in your first 4 picks. It is risky in that pitching has more depth than other positions and when you choose pitchers so early, you sacrifice for the chance to draft real stars at other, less deep positions. I've used this in a head-to-head league before.

2) Apply the anchor: Get one "ace" and then draft a lot of pitchers in the middle to late rounds. I tend to use this strategy most often. I like the comfort of having a guy who gives you consistent stats from year to year (or at least should without an unanticipated falling apart or injury).

3) Skip the pitching until round 8 or later. This is the preferred strategy for head-to-head leagues especially because pitching stats, in general, have more fluctuation from week to week. This can also be used to advantage in rotisserie leagues because you can have 3-4 solid starters drafted in rounds 8-14, while filling in the rest of the staff with closers and middle relievers.

Typically, the only pitchers to draft as aces are those listed in tier 1. Tier 2 guys have talent and can be an anchor if the all the tier 1 players are gone, but they may have some question marks . Tier 3 pitchers are middle round finds with some potential to perform just as well as tier 2 pitchers, but have other questions. Tier 4 pitchers I consider unreliable because of inconsistency or uncertainty of repeating positive performances. Tier 5 pitchers are intriguing young guys with potential who easily can be drafted at the same level as Tier 3 and 4 pitchers. I separate them out so I know who to target post-round 15. I tend to draft younger pitchers who haven't yet reached their peak near the end of drafts because if they work out, they are really good and if they dont work out, they are easily expendable. I only ranked those whom I considered to be "draftable" in a 12 team 5x5 draft. Concerns are listed in parentheses after the pitcher's name.

Tier 1 (rounds 1-4)

Roy Halladay

Brandon Webb

Tim Lincecum

Johan Santana

Jake Peavy

Cole Hamels

CC Sabathia

Tier 2 (rounds 4-8)

John Lackey (HR allowed)

Roy Oswalt (team is terrible)

Carlos Zambrano (inconsistency)

Rich Harden (injury risk)

Dan Haren (home ballpark)

Cliff Lee (regression?)

Felix Hernandez (BB/9)

James Shields

Josh Beckett (injury risk)

Daisuke Matsuzaka (BB/9)

Francisco Liriano (previous injury)

AJ Burnett (injury risk)

Tier 3 (rounds 8-14)

Ervin Santana (injured)

Justin Duchscherer (injured)

Javier Vazquez (HR allowed)

Derek Lowe (age)

Yovoni Gallardo (previous injury)

Adam Wainwright (inexperience)

Ryan Dempster (regression?)

Chad Billingsley (innings overload)

Matt Cain (HR allowed)

Erik Bedard (injury risk)

Ricky Nolasco (previous injury)

John Maine (K/BB ratio)

Brett Myers (headcase)

Scott Kazmir (BB/9 and P/IP)

Matt Garza (innings overload)

Jon Lester(innings overload)

Edison Volquez (regression?)

Zack Greinke (team)

Scott Baker (run support)

John Danks (HR/FB ratio)

Joba Chamberlain (injury risk)

Tier 4 (round 10 and above)

Joe Saunders

Jered Weaver

Jesse Litsch

Manny Parra

Chris Carpenter

Ted Lilly

Randy Johnson

Fausto Carmona

Brandon Morrow

Josh Johnson

Anibal Sanchez

Oliver Perez

Chris Young

Jaimie Moyer

Joe Blanton

Aaron Harang

Aaron Cook

Justin Verlander

Kevin Slowey

Mark Buehrle

Gavin Floyd

Chien Ming Wang

Tier 5 (round 10 and above)

Gio Gonzalez

Sean Gallagher

david Purcey

Jair Jurrjens

Todd Wellemeyer

Sean Marshall

Max Scherzer

Clayton Kershaw

Chris Volstad

Andrew Miller

Mike Pelfrey

John Lannan

Jeremy Guthrie

David Price

Johnny Cueto

Fantasy Baseball Rankings V: Quick Hits-Catchers and Closers

For me, normally, these are positions I wait on.

For catchers, if you're not willing to sacrfice a 4-6 round pick on McCann, Martin, or Mauer(barring continuing injury), then you might as well wait. There is serious reaching for Matt Wieters in experts' drafts. Will he be worth it? He might not even start the season with the MLB club. His talent though is undeniable. There are other catchers (Soto, Doumit) who can offer the same production, and also have a track record. Just don't hurt yourself in all the categories when you pick one. Be ready to cut them if they're not working out since a good starting catcher normally starts only 115-130 games per season, depressing their overall numbers compared to other positions. If someone emerges during the season, don't hesitate to replace a mediocrity at the position. The same type of tiering system applies as previous rankings; these are similar groupings of players based on projected stats.

Tier 1

Brian McCann

Russell Martin

Joe Mauer

Tier 2

Geovany Soto

Victor Martinez

Ryan Doumit

Tier 3

Matt Wieters

Kelly Shoppach

Tier 4

Mike Napoli

Bengie Molina

Chris Ianetta

AJ Pierzynski

Jorge Posada

Tier 5

Chris Snyder

Jarod Saltalamacchia

Dioner Navarro

For closers, I've mentioned not to draft one too early, but this doesn't mean to overlook them. Try to draft 3-4 during the draft, and maybe also a middle reliever with a high K/9 and K/BB rate (i.e. Carlos Marmol, J.J. Putz). The only considerations with closers are opportunities, effectiveness at converting opportunities, situation stability, and injury. The rest is not as important because most only pitch 60-80 innings per year, which have a miniscule effect on ERA and WHIP. Although grabbing one with a high K/9 can help in maximizing Ks (assuming you have an inning limit in your league; for head to head leagues, it doesn't matter at all).

Tier 1 (Stable Situation and Effective)

Brad Lidge

Francisco Rodriguez

Jose Valverde

Mariano Rivera

Jonathan Papelbon

Joakim Soria

Joe Nathan

Tier 2 (Stable Situation with Concerns about Effectiveness)

Matt Capps

Francisco Cordero

Jonathan Broxton

Bobby Jenks

Tier 3 (Threatened Situation but Effective with Opportunity)

Matt Lindstrom

Mike Gonzalez

Brian Wilson

Heath Bell

Huston Street

BJ Ryan

George Sherrill

Brad Ziegler

Brian Fuentes

Kerry Wood

Chad Qualls

Tier 4 (Threatened Situation with Effectiveness (including injury) Concerns)

Joel Hanrahan

Kevin Gregg

Troy Percival

Brandon Lyon

Frank Francisco

Trevor Hoffmann

Tier 5 (Unsettled Situations)

Cardinals (frontrunner: Jason Motte)

Mariners (frontrunner:???)

Middle relivers to consider

JJ Putz

Hong-Chi Kuo

Justin Masterson

Takashi Saito

Rafael Soriano

Carlos Marmol

Manny Corpas

Scott Downs

Brandon League

Chris Ray

Joey Devine

Jose Arredondo
Carlos Villanueva

Fantasy Baseball Rankings IV: Shortstops

Below is my fantasy rankings for shortstops. All stats are from Baseball Reference.com. The tiers refer to similar groupings of players. I haven't specified rankings within the tiers...that I leave up to the individual drafter. Please let me know your thoughts...whether you agree, disagree, think I've lost a couple of marbles while working in the lab, etc. As you can see, shortstop is deeper than expected with some combination of speed and power guys. The position also has 3 potential first round picks. I only ranked those whom I considered to be "draftable" in a 12 team 5x5 draft.

Let the presentation begin!

Name	Age	Strength Stats	Key Stats from 2008	Projected Draft Position	Comments	Tier
Hanley Ramirez	25	AVG, HR, R, SB, RBI	125 R, 33 HR, 35 SB, .400 OBP, .540 SLG	1	Consensus top 2 pick in the draft. 5 category stud because will not hit 3rd in Florida lineup	1
Jose Reyes	26	R, SB, AVG	113 R, 56 SB	1	Consensus top 4 pick in the draft. Steals are his biggest asset, but can contribute across all categories.	1
Jimmy Rollins	30	R, HR, SB	47 SB, .349 OBP, .437 SLG	1	Great asset at speed. Scores a lot of runs with Utley and Howard hitting behind him. Stats last year depressed because of ankle injury	1
Rafael Furcal	31	R, SB	36 G , 8 SB, 34 R	4-7 round	He may be overrated because he's over 30 and had injury problems last year. But with potent Dodger lineup can score 100-120 runs and steal 25-35 bases with respectable AVG and HR	2
Alexei Ramirez	27	HR, RBI	22 HR, 77 RBI, 13 SB, .475 SLG, .313 OBP	3-6 round	Free swinger with great power. Will be overdrafted based on potential. Also eligible at 2nd base	2
Stephen Drew	26	R, HR, RBI	.502 SLG, 21 HR	5-8 round	Similar in fantasy profile to Hardy and Ramirez, but his skills can portend a greater improvement for 3rd full season	2
JJ Hardy	26	HR, RBI	24 HR, .478 SLG	7-10 round	Streaky power hitter in the prime of his career who will contribute 25 HR and a decent AVG	3
Troy Tulowitzki	24	R, RBI	.332 OBP, .401 SLG	7-10 round	Extemely disappointing '08 with injury and performance. This ranking is more of a bounceback hope. Still only 24.	3
Derek Jeter	35	R, AVG	.363 OBP, .408 SLG	5-8 round	Still useful, but not for the value most people give him. Declining trend in power and speed is real.	3
Jhonny Peralta	27	R, HR, RBI	104 R, 23 HR, 89 RBI, .473 SLG	6-12 round	Power is there consistently. Place in Indians lineup will matter for other categories	3
Miguel Tejada	35	R	.314 OBP, .415 SLG, 13 HR, 66 RBI	6-12 round	Will not approach power of years past. Also, extremely slow (32 GIDP). Has lost batting eye as well	4
Orlando Cabrera	34	R, SB	93 R, 19 SB, .334 OBP	12-15 round	Solid contributor in all categories, however, has less than .400 SLG previous 2 years.	4
Brandon Wood	24	HR	not enough info	18-21 round	Amazing power numbers in the minors. Hasn't figured out major league pitching yet.	4
Yunel Escobar	26	R, AVG	.366 OBP	12-15 round	Above average hitter with developing skills and good strike zone control who will give you a solid contribution.	4
Ryan Theriot	29	R, SB, AVG	22 SB, .387 OBP	15-18 round	No power, but good speed, great plate discipline. Expect .300 AVG with 20 SB and 90 R	4
Edgar Renteria	33	AVG	.317 OBP, .382 SLG	15-18 round	Has clearly lost a step, but has moved to NL, where he seems to play better. Strictly a backup in this stage of his career	4
Christian Guzman	31	AVG	.316 AVG, 23 BB	18-21 round	Had one of career best year last year with surprising doubles power and high average. Has poor pitch recognition, but makes contact. Might maintain AVG, but offers nothing else	4
Elvis Andrus	20	SB	No MLB stats	18-21 round	Take a chance, get some steals. Very high talent ceiling, but probably too young to approach it this year	4
Mike Aviles	28	AVG	.325 AVG/ .480 SLG	15-18 round	High contact hitter who surprised last year. Might get double digit HR again. Also eligible at 2B.	4

Fantasy Baseball Rankings III: Quick Hits-Oufield

Baseball season is creeping closer and closer. The WBC is a worthwhile distraction, but it's short and isn't part of the marathonic charm that each season possesses. The spring air and adjustment to daylight savings time has really given an extra jump in my step (which is good because soccer season also started this past weekend).

Therefore, here's the quick hits of my rankings for outfielders. They are also ranked in tiers and after each name is that player's strength categories in a standard 5x5 league. The first five tiers are the targets to fill out the starting lineup. Tiers six and seven are players that I feel have some risk, but are still worth pursuing, assuming the draft position is right. Notice that each tier has an increasing number of players. This is because there is more and more similarity in value as you go down the list. The key is to identify the players that will surpass last year's (and career average) totals. I'm still working on the other positions...stay tuned for them this week.

Tier 1

Manny Ramirez-AVG, HR, RBI

Ryan Braun-AVG, HR, RBI, R

Grady Sizemore-R, HR, SB

Carlos Beltran-R, HR, RBI, SB

Josh Hamilton-AVG, HR, RBI

Tier 2

Vladimir Guerrero-AVG, HR, RBI

Alfonso Soriano-R, HR, SB

Carlos Lee-HR, RBI, SB

Ichiro Suzuki-R, AVG, SB

Carl Crawford-R, SB

Matt Holliday-R, HR, AVG,RBI

Tier 3

Vernon Wells- R, RBI

Alex Rios-R, SB

Matt Kemp-AVG, R, SB, RBI

Nick Markakis-R, HR, RBI

BJ Upton-R, RBI, SB

Jason Bay-R, HR, RBI

Carlos Quentin-R, HR, RBI

Tier 4

Curtis Granderson-R, HR

Bobby Abreu-R, RBI, SB

Corey Hart-HR, SB

Adam Dunn-HR, RBI

Nate McLouth-R, SB

Jacoby Ellsbury-R, SB

Jay Bruce-HR, RBI

Magglio Ordonez-HR, RBI, AVG

Hunter Pence-AVG, RBI

Ryan Ludwick-HR, RBI

Milton Bradley-AVG, RBI

Justin Upton-HR, RBI

Andre Ethier-R, AVG, HR

Tier 5

Brad Hawpe-HR, RBI

Carlos Guillen-AVG, RBI

Jermaine Dye-HR, RBI

Johnny Damon-R, SB

Willy Taveras-SB

Michael Bourn-SB

Raul Ibanez-RBI

Pat Burrell-HR, RBI

Torii Hunter-R, RBI

Travis Snider-HR, RBI

JD Drew-R, HR, RBI

Elijah Dukes-HR, RBI

Chris Young-HR, SB

Shane Victorino-R, SB
Jayson Werth-HR, SB

Tier 6

Jack Cust-HR, RBI

Adam Lind-R, RBI

Jeff Franceour-RBI

Mike Cameron-HR, SB

Rick Ankiel-HR

Conor Jackson-AVG

Randy Winn-AVG, SB

Fred Lewis-SB

Aaron Rowand-RBI

Cody Ross-HR

Jeremy Hermida-R, RBI

Brian Giles-AVG,RBI

Xavier Nady-HR, RBI

Lastings Milledge-SB, HR

Tier 7 (young guys to take a chance on)

Colby Rasmus

Shin-Soo Choo

Cameron Maybin

Adam Jones

Chris Dickerson

Carlos Gomez

Denard Span

Felix Pie

Fantasy Baseball Rankings II: 2nd Base

Below is my fantasy rankings for 2nd basemen. All stats are from Baseball Reference.com. The tiers refer to similar groupings of players. I haven't specified rankings within the tiers...that I leave up to the individual drafter. Please let me know your thoughts...whether you agree, disagree, think I've lost a couple of marbles while working in the lab, etc. As you can see, 2nd base, is a shallow position. I only ranked those whom I considered to be "draftable" in a 12 team 5x5 draft.

Let the presentation begin!

Name	Age	Strength Stats	Key Stats from 2008	Projected Draft Position	Comments	Tier
Chase Utley	30	R, HR, RBI, AVG	33 HR, 100+ R and RBI, .380 OBP, .535 SLG	1-2 round	Even with hip injury recovery, should put up similar numbers to last couple of years. The power should return after 2nd half drop. Can contribute in all 5categories	1
Ian Kinsler	27	R, HR, SB, AVG	.319/.375/.517, 18 HR, 26 SB	1-2 round	Legitimate 25-30 and 5 category threat, might be 1st 2nd baseman drafted in some drafts	1
Dustin Pedroia	25	R, HR, AVG	.326/.376/.493, 17 HR, 20 SB	2-3 round	Less power than Kinsler, but better AVG. Should hit .300 with similar numbers. Be wary of SB decreasing	1
Brandon Phillips	28	HR, SB	21 HR, 23 SB, .312 OBP	3-6 round	Doesn’t have great batting eye, but 20/20 almost assured.	2
Dan Uggla	29	HR, RBI, R	32 HR, .515 SLG, 171 K	5-9 round	High power with low AVG, should be a lock for 25 HRs	2
Brian Roberts	31	R, SB	.378 OBP, .450 SLG, 51 2B, 40 SB	3-6 round	Good batting eye with some power and speed to burn. On wrong side of 30, but should have 30-35 SB with .290 AVG and possibly 15 HR	2
Howie Kendrick	25	AVG	.306 AVG, .333 OBP, 92 G	10-15 round	Great hitter for average with some 2B power that might translate to increased HR. However, very injury prone.	3
Kelly Johnson	27	R, HR	.446 SLG	15-18 round	Solid all-around contributor	3
Rickie Weeks	26	R,HR,SB	.234/.342/.398	12-15 round	Real 20/20 potential…if he can get it together (saying that for 3 years now	3
Felipe Lopez	29	HR, SB	only .234 Avg in Washington	12-15 round	intriguing pick because of 2005/2006 and production when traded to St. Louis. Now in AZ, a majr hitter's park. 15/25 possibility	3
Jose Lopez	25	HR, RBI	17 HR, 89 RBI, .443 SLG	12-17 round	Free swinger who gets RBIs even when not hitting well. Low .OBP means when not hitting HRs is much less valuable.	3
Robinson Cano	26	AVG. HR	.271 AVG, .305 OBP	15-18 round	Has contact ability, but if career continues on this path, then useless as a fantasy player. Don't expect 2006 again.	3
Kazuo Matsui	33	SB	20 SB, .293 AVG, .354 OBP	18-21 round	Had career best season at age 32, 2nd baseman don't age well, injuries also a factor	4
Mark Ellis	32	HR	12 HR in 442 AB	18-21 round	Oakland lineup much improved, should help RBI numbers, on the wrong side of 30.	4
Aaron Hill	27	HR	17 HR in 2007	18-21 round	Is he recovered from the concussion?	4
Skip Schumaker	29	AVG	.302/.359/.406	18-21 round	high avg with decent batting eye, absolutely no power.	4
Orlando Hudson	31	AVG	.305 AVG, .450 SLG	15-18 round	Above average hitter with below average fantasy stats	4
Freddy Sanchez	31	AVG	.298 OBP	18-21 round	High contact hitter with little plate discipline. If AVG does not hover around .300 has no value since won't score runs and doesn't have SB	4
Clint Barmes	30	AVG, HR	.468 SLG	16-21 round	"Deermeat" Barmes has some useful skills and position versatility and plays in CO, but don't expect star numbers	4
Placido Polanco	33	R, AVG	.307 AVG, .350 OBP	16-21 round	Great contact hitter who will help your AVG with 6-10 HR, strictly a backup	4

Fantasy Baseball Rankings I: First Base

Below is my fantasy rankings for 1st baseman. All stats are from Baseball Reference.com. The tiers refer to similar groupings of players. I haven't specified rankings within the tiers...that I leave up to the individual drafter. Please let me know your thoughts...whether you agree, disagree, think I've lost a couple of marbles while working in the lab, etc.

Let the presentation begin!




>>

Name	Age	Strength Stats	Key Stats from 2008	Projected Draft Position	Comments	Tier
Albert Pujols	29	R, HR, RBI, AVG	.357/.462/.653	1 round	Might be best hitter in game, I would not hesitate to pick him in top two picks of draft	1*
Lance Berkman	33	R, HR, RBI, AVG	.420 OBP, .567 SLG, 100+ Runs and RBIs	2-4 round	Great batting eye with 30 HR power and .300 avg possibility. Don't count on 18 SB again	1
Prince Fielder	25	HR, RBI	34 HR, 102 RBI, .507 SLG,/td>	2-4 round	In the breakout zone with huge power potential. Needs lineup support to score more runs. 40 HR season likely	1
Ryan Howard	29	HR, RBI	48 HR, 146 RBI	1-2 round	Declining power to human levels since 2006 MVP year. Can hurt you with AVG, amazing power to all fields in all parks.	1
Miguel Cabrera	26	HR, RBI, AVG	.537 SLG, 37 HR, 127 RBI	2-4 round	Adjustment to Detroit led to slow 1st half last year, still led AL in HR. His AVG should increase this year.	1
Justin Morneau	28	HR, RBI	.499 SLG, 129 RBI	2-4 round	Has lots of RBI with low .SLG percentage (thanks Joe Mauer), capable of 30 HR. Plate discipline should allow for maintained success.	1
Mark Teixeira	29	R, HR, RBI, AVG	.410 OBP, .527 SLG, 100+ R and RBI, .300 AVG	2-3 round	A great player with a good batting eye and approach, sufficient power and in a good lineup. Will hit .300 with 30 HR and 100 RBI	1
Derrek Lee	33	R, RBI	only 20 HR, but 41 2B, .462 SLG	5-9 round	Power has fallen dramatically since great 2005, still a solid overall player, normally a bit overdrafted	2
Adrian Gonzalez	27	R, HR, RBI	100+ R and RBI, 36 HR, .510 SLG	6-10 round	Very talented player with terrible home park, 22 HR and .578 SLG on the road	2
Chris Davis	23	HR, RBI	.549 SLG, 22 HR in 294 AB	6-10 round	Has serious pop, but needs better strike zone control to realize full power potential. Young and full of possibilities +eligible at 3rd base.	2
Carlos Pena	31	HR, RBI	.494 SLG, 31 HR, .377 OBP	6-10 round	Don't expect 2007 again; 30 HR and a lot of strikeouts are what to expect. Has a good batting eye, so higher run total could come about.	2
Kevin Youkilis	30	RBI, AVG	.315 AVG/.390 OBP, .569 SLG	4-7 round	Had career year in 2008, but is still an above average first baseman. I would expect a .300 AVG with 20 HR and possibly 100 RBI	2
James Loney	25	AVG, RBI	90 RBI, 35 2B	13-16 round	2nd full season, has breakout possibility, line drive hitter, good value pick	3
Jorge Cantu	27	R, HR, RBI	29 HR, .484 SLG, .327 OBP	7-10 round	Draft as a third baseman. Free swinger who can hit the ball a mile. Hopefully, resurgence continues in FLA	3
Carlos Delgado	37	HR, RBI	38 HR, 115 RBI, .518 SLG	7-10 round	Which is the real Delgado…1st half or 2nd half? Still has pull power and can hit 30 HR	3
Aubrey Huff	32	HR, RBI	32 HR, .552 SLG	9-12 round	Draft as a 3rd baseman. Won't likely hit 30 HR again, but a useful player even if he matches career averages	3
Joey Votto	25	HR, RBI	24 HR and .502 SLG	6-10 round	Can break out in a mojor way hitting in the middle of the lineup. Has decent plate discipline and a lot of power without piling up 150+ Ks.	3
Adam LaRoche	29	HR, RBI	25 HR, .500 SLG	13-16 round	Has 30 HR power, would make a fine backup first baseman.	4
Todd Helton	35	RBI, AVG	83 G, .391 OBP, .388 SLG	16-20 round	Had career worst season in 2008. Still has great batting eye, but back has sapped him of power. Can be useful, but don't depend on him	4
Mike Jacobs	28	HR	.299 OBP with 32 HR	16-20 round	His low OBP offsets the power because he won't score runs or have a high average, strictly a backup	4
Paul Konerko	33	HR	.438 SLG	16-20 round	Clearly has lost power since 2007 and is not a reliable pick (see 2003 season).	4
Kendry Morales	26	AVG	Not enough info	post 20th round	First opportunity to play full time, high contact hitter with 15 HR potential.	5
Daric Barton	23	none	none	post 20th round	Still young, but potential doesn't exist for fantasy categories. Has decent batting eye with 10-15 HR power.	5
Lyle Overbay	32	AVG	.358 OBP	post 20th round	Above average MLB hitter, but below average fantasy hitter. At 32, will not match career high 2006.	5
Casey Kotchman	26	AVG	none	post 20th round	Younger version of Overbay, still young enough to break out with a 20 HR season.	5
Chad Tracy	29	none	88 G played	post 20th round	Has become injury prone of late, still no better than a steady hitter; think Sean Casey	5
Travis Ishikawa	25	none	Not enough info	post 20th round	First full season in MLB. Dominated AAA last year in half season. Does not have the plate discipline to break out	5
Ryan Garko	28	RBI	90 RBI, 14 HR, .404 SLG	post 20th round	Major disappointment last year, now threatened to split time with Victor Martinez. Avoid.	5
Russell Branyan	33	HR	12 HR in 132 AB	post 20th round	Wow. He's not a starting first baseman,	5
Nick Johson	30	none	none	Don't	INJURY PRONE	5

A note on fantasy baseball rankings

I'm currently developing my rankings by position, including every team. I hope you can appreciate some of the detail I go into. The player's name, age, team, other position eligibility, and category strengths will be described.

I've also grouped the players into tiers or levels based on where I feel or mostly where I expect them to be drafted in a 5 x5 snake-style draft. Tiers are important to me because they differentiate players of similar skill levels and expectations at a given position. This, of course, do not draft a first tier closer before a first tier outfielder or first baseman. Gauge the flow of the draft to determine when the talent drop-off at a position is too severe to let go anymore.

Next up is first baseman (this is the most comprehensive list since I did it first. In future lists, I'm omitting players I wouldn't draft at all in a 12 team mixed league to save some time. If you see any omissions, please let me know.)

Can you smell the springtime?