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re: Votto Is A Catcher Season Long Thread

Posted on 3/25/13 at 7:55 pm to
Posted by Vicks Kennel Club
29-24 #BlewDat
Member since Dec 2010
31060 posts
Posted on 3/25/13 at 7:55 pm to
6. Winter Is Coming

Hitting (8): Regardless of the looming Biogenesis issues, Ryan Braun is absolutely worth $20 of your budget. No player is as much of a five-stat cat as The Hebrew Hammer. It is rather scary he is a lock to hit .300 and go 100/30/100 with 30 swipes and he will likely do more than that. Braun was absolutely robbed of the MVP last year. Hanley is an unlucky break, but he has not lived up to his price tag in years. He always rides near the top of my do not draft lists. Adam Jones will continue to be a stud and Kinsler will bounce back some. Only three players have at least 50 bombs and swipes in the last two years combined. Zephyrius owns two of them in Braun and Kinsler. Kemp is the third, despite limited action in 2012 (a 39-40 season helps). Lance Berkman is a worthy gamble at $6, and I think Alexei Ramirez will have a good year. I think Salvador Perez has been a little overrated by fantasy gurus this offseason, but what do I know?

Pitching (8): I have mostly just focused on the starters in this section, but I have to praise the value of the closers. For $11, Zephyrius nabbed two guys who should be giving him saves (and stress in the case of Marmol). That is the price of one closer in this league. Also, I think Ryan Cook will take over the ninth inning in Oakland like last year. With respect to his starters, Felix should be a stud once again, but he does have a lot of miles for a guy who is almost 27. Gallardo is a QS machine. I have no prediction for Tiny Tim because I am absolutely clueless on how he will perform. $12 is worth the risk, I think.

Favorite pick: Huston Street $7

Least favorite pick: Hanley Ramirez $28 (even if he was healthy)

Outlook: Zephyrius achieved a nice balance between power, speed, starting pitching, and saves. He should be competitive in all ten categories, which seems pretty rare in a league like this. However, his weakness is the lack of depth because the big names come with price. Chris Carter and Domonic Brown is nothing to be happy about. Brown needs to break through and Lincecum needs to find some of the magic again to make this team a title contender. He is not far away from the money though.

5. Free Mumia

Hitting (7): Stanton, Justin Upton, and Konerko make up the top bats on this squad. I feel like we will see 45 homers from Stanon this year. He did absolutely nothing in April and still had a pretty sick year. Prado’s ultimate eligibility is pretty great, but he is better on the ball field than in fantasy. I see him as a more of a $12 player, but sometimes it is okay to overpay for guys you really want. I love a few of the less expensive pieces in LaRoche, who is a 20/80 lock with 25/100 also likely, Swisher, and the two speed guys in Cabrera and Revere to score well in that category. The offense does not jump off the page at me, but it is very balanced and nicely built.

Pitching (9): Owning the Phillies Opening Day starter is a great thing, especially when that staff also features Doc and Cliff. Cole Hamels is a virtual lock to be a top 10 starter. The price for Wainwright was a little much for my liking, but according to most returns from Tommy John, he should much better than he was in 2012. A return to ace form would not be surprising in the least. Romo should be a top closer and Boggs turned out to be a tremendous value to open the season. Veras will be fine in his eleven save opportunities. Edwin Jackson’s penchant for walks will be frustrating, which could ruin the tremendous WHIP’s put up by the top two arms.

Favorite pick: Mark Reynolds $1

Least favorite pick: Martin Prado $19 and Jarrod Parker $10

Outlook: At first look, I think most people would put this squad no higher than midtable, but I really like most of it. It has a chance to be a good squad, and I think it could have a good shot at finishing in the money. A guy like Brandon Belt finally breaking through is something that could give PSU the chance to finish near the top. Also, I like the savvy stash of A-Rod to the DL.

4. MelkyIsClean.com

Hitting (2): This may be the most complete lineup in the entire league. The outfield is beyond loaded with Trout and Holliday. Even if Trout suffers a sophomore slump, he will still be a top ten player in fantasy baseball. Very strong infield anchored by Tulo. Will Carlos Santana become the stud most people think he will be? How will Tex be after the injury? Will Ike Davis continue his second half power surge? In my opinion, I will hit on two of them, but I definitely am buying 35+ bombs from Ike Davis. Even with a couple of question marks, these guys have power.

Pitching (12): As good as the hitting is, the pitching seems to be equally as bad. In order to even be close to an average staff, RA Dickey needs to become a two-time Cy Young winner. I think Mike Minor will be the best pitcher on the Braves staff this year. Homer Bailey has gotten it together and should be solid, but this is not a good group. Not to mention, there is one closer max right now.

Favorite pick: Matt Holliday $23

Least favorite pick: Mike Trout $55 (just too expensive and I prefer Braun)

Outlook: I think this one of the better teams, but can the bats offset the arms? Probably need to move an excess bat for an arm or maybe a closer. If Minor, Bailey, and Cahill pan out, then I could finish in the money. The next team on the preseason rankings is built similarly to mine. (It feels awkward ranking my team highly, but I think this squad is pretty solid).

3. Captain Kickass

Hitting (1): Papz went hard with the big bats. Kemp, Hamilton, and Longoria is the best trio of hitters in the league. The Headley gamble did not pay off yet, but that is just some bad luck. The complimentary batters are also stacked. Freeman, Willingham, Austin Jackson, and Morneau are all nice pieces to make this probably the best hitting team in the league. My only complaint of the bats is that I do not buy in Carl Crawford, but I am hope I am wrong because he used to fun to watch.

Pitching (14): It is pretty evident that Papz built a squad more fit for a home run derby. Anibal is a good pitcher, but almost every guy in his staff is a question mark to some extent. The upside is definitely there with a couple of the guys. This squad needs good Beckett and a little more on the mound. I do like the fact that he got at least one closer, but unlike my squad, this team lacks even the semblance of an ace.

Favorite pick: Josh Willingham $11

Least favorite pick: Carl Crawford $8

Outlook: The hitting is so ferocious that I would be surprised if this team does not fare decently. The vast majority of the points will obviously come from the hitters. Furthermore, Papz had some good management and pickups last year (Medlen and Headley, I believe) that allowed him to make a second half run for the title that fell just shy. While I normally like to have a strong staff, both Papz and I went super heavy on the sluggers, so I rate our teams fairly similarly. I love how day and night this squad is between the hitters and pitchers, but I think Papz will make it work.
Posted by Vicks Kennel Club
29-24 #BlewDat
Member since Dec 2010
31060 posts
Posted on 3/25/13 at 7:57 pm to
2. Swamie

Hitting (5): I think Edwin Encarnacion will be worth the price. For the stats he put up last year, $27 is a bargain. Of course, that happens when the player is not a household, but I believe that he is Joey Bats Part II. The team is not loaded with sexy names, but the numbers definitely these guys put up in 2012 are. Beltre is a great player that should help anchor the bats. If 2012 Rios returns, then this lineup will be scary come summertime.

Pitching (2): Gio and Sale make up a scary one-two punch. They do not carry the names of a Verlander, Strasburg, or King Felix, but their numbers last season are about as good as any. Niese will be solid, Frieri will be scary good again, and Burnett is a nice value. Locking up both Chapman and Broxton was smart, but it came with a $22 price tag. My biggest question about this squad is the simple matter of regression because so many guys were so damn good last season.

Favorite pick: Edwin Encarnacion $27 and Gio Gonzalez $23

Least favorite pick: Alcides Escobar $7

Outlook: This could be the best team in the league from June to September. The health of the Grandy Man and Hart clearly could be the difference between finishing in the money and not. I think they will both be fine. Ruiz (suspension) is another guy that Swamie is carrying without being able to play. The depth will not be early on, but I think Swamie can make up the points over a long season. There may be even be a bit of a gap between Swamie and the teams trailing him. Banking on guys who blew up last year without establishing a superstar brand could be a great strategy.

1. floridatigah

Hitting (4): At first glance, this comes off of as a balanced lineup and team as a whole. Despite the fact that Posey is my top player to avoid this year, the lineup is filled with talent. Zimmerman will be the second best third baseman this season. A 2011 repeat of Ellsbury would absolutely put this team over the top. He is only a year removed from being one of the top players in fantasy (though his power may have been a fluke). Outside of Aybar, I really like these bats. Last year, Honkus won with a bunch of guys bought at $20-$30, and this team best follows the model. I probably would have gone closer down this road had I showed up one minute earlier for the draft.

Pitching (1): The difference between this squad and the big bats of Papz and myself is pretty evident. Cliff Lee and David Price form a dynamic pairing at the top. The relievers are a little weak, but Addison Reed could be a top closer. Despite his advanced age, Tim Hudson always comes through and puts up a nice ERA. Hellickson will do the same, but the two will do not too much for you in the K department.

Favorite pick: Jacoby Ellsbury $23

Least favorite pick: Lance Lynn $7

Outlook: This team jumped off the page when I first saw it, so I have no reason to not put it at the top. It is very balanced and features two aces and first round talent (top 14 pick of a snake). Floridatigah has seven players that were at least $20, and I think only Zobrist was a hair overpriced. Do not sleep on Kubel either because he could come close to replicating his numbers. He has been a good hitter for a while. While it is just preseason rankings, I think it would be difficult for this team to finish out of the money (assuming at least average in-season management and not tons of crippling injuries).
Posted by MrWiseGuy
Member since Dec 2009
27419 posts
Posted on 3/25/13 at 8:12 pm to
Good work, VKC

Effort put forth is much appreciated.
Posted by floridatigah
FL
Member since Oct 2004
10395 posts
Posted on 3/25/13 at 8:22 pm to
Damn bro, that is impressive, read them all. I usually value top level starting pitching more than most and this league is no different. You pretty much called my strategy, get a bunch of guys between 20 and 30 because I figured that's where the best value was. Avoid the next tier guys in the 14-20 range that got overvalued when a lot of managers realized they had too much money left.

Lynn was my least favorite pick too, still.kicking myself for walking away for a beer when Fister came up. Hopefully the team can live up to expectations, seems like a lot of good teams, deep league
Posted by papz
Austin, TX
Member since Jul 2008
9330 posts
Posted on 3/25/13 at 8:23 pm to
Takes a lot of work and time to do rankings... kudos to you VKC.
Posted by Vicks Kennel Club
29-24 #BlewDat
Member since Dec 2010
31060 posts
Posted on 3/25/13 at 8:25 pm to
quote:

Lynn was my least favorite pick too, still.kicking myself for walking away for a beer when Fister came up.

I really Fister as well.

quote:

I usually value top level starting pitching more than most and this league is no different.

Me too. I expected to go more like Heyward and Cole Hamels instead of Trout, but I fricked up there.

quote:

You pretty much called my strategy, get a bunch of guys between 20 and 30 because I figured that's where the best value was.

The "Matt Holliday" tier as I call is the $25 player that helped Honkus pretty much dominate.
Posted by Zephyrius
Wharton, La.
Member since Dec 2004
7929 posts
Posted on 3/25/13 at 9:02 pm to
quote:

However, his weakness is the lack of depth because the big names come with price. Chris Carter and Domonic Brown is nothing to be happy about. Brown needs to break through and Lincecum needs to find some of the magic again to make this team a title contender. He is not far away from the money though.

You nailed the weak links to my team... I'm hoping for one of the young guys to overachieve(Brown/ Martin/ Carter) and if Lincecum can be a $20 pitcher I'll be right there... the question is how long do I keep putting him in my lineup if is giving me 5 era and 1.5 whip?
Posted by swamie
Where opportunity meets hard work
Member since Jan 2007
27253 posts
Posted on 3/25/13 at 9:26 pm to
quote:

2. Swamie


5 years removed from fantasy baseball and I nab the #2 preseason ranking. Yeah, I'm a little pumped to start this year.

My strategy was to not go after big names, just nice, even stats. And I'm as worried as you are about regression especially with Rios and Encarnacion, and Alvarez. I'm hoping my middle infield can continue to swipe bases while not hurting my OPS. Looking at you Escobar.

Broxton to setup really screwed me and its my fault because I had no idea they were still thinking about keeping Chapman at closer.

I've made no effort to hide the fact that once Hart and Granderson are back, I'll be looking to move some pop from the OF. So hopefully everyone can stay healthy until then and I will decide if speed, saves or a real solid #3 or 4 is what I need to stay near the top.



Great work VKC. Worth the wait.
This post was edited on 3/25/13 at 9:31 pm
Posted by MrWiseGuy
Member since Dec 2009
27419 posts
Posted on 3/25/13 at 10:12 pm to
Is it just me, or is Brandon Maurer just not in the yahoo player database?

I searched and searched to no avail - I did so on the app and the regular site.

I obvioulsy know how to search and pick up players - I have 13 acquisitions already.

Maybe I'm just a dumbass? It could definitely be this.
Posted by swamie
Where opportunity meets hard work
Member since Jan 2007
27253 posts
Posted on 3/25/13 at 10:18 pm to
I don't see him either.
Posted by MrWiseGuy
Member since Dec 2009
27419 posts
Posted on 3/25/13 at 10:29 pm to
Well, this is a fricked up situation. I want me some Maurer

How the frick does yahoo not have a guy who will be on a major league roster in its database?

quote:

Scouting Grades* (present/future): FB: 6/6 | Slider: 5/6 | Curve: 4/5 | Changeup: 4/5 | Control: 4/6 | Overall: 5/6 As part of a a prospect-laden Double-A rotation that included Taijuan Walker, Danny Hultzen and James Paxton in 2012, it might have been Maurer who was the most consistent starter. He has a four-pitch mix and is very consistent with it. All four of his pitches have the chance to be better than average on any given night. He throws his fastball up to 96 mph and sits in the 92-94 mph range. His hard, late-cutting slider is his next best pitch, but he can throw all of them for strikes. The "Big 3" may get the most buzz and have higher upside, but don't be too surprised if Maurer is right there in Seattle with them.
This post was edited on 3/25/13 at 11:03 pm
Posted by RollDatRoll
Who Dat. Roll Tide.
Member since Dec 2010
12245 posts
Posted on 3/25/13 at 10:45 pm to
Nice work, VKC. Awesome job! We will see how it plays out but thanks for setting my bar low!
Posted by tchamp2
The Woodlands, TX
Member since Nov 2006
3040 posts
Posted on 3/25/13 at 11:09 pm to
Lohse isn't in the database in one of my leagues also.
Posted by papz
Austin, TX
Member since Jul 2008
9330 posts
Posted on 3/26/13 at 8:11 am to
I got your offer. It's an even and fair deal. I don't know if I want to have Carpenter as my backup 1B. I'll mull it over... don't let me stop you from making any deals though.

Posted by PSU2LSU
Oxford MS
Member since Apr 2011
3144 posts
Posted on 3/26/13 at 8:20 am to
@VKC

Thanks for putting that review together. This was my first Auction draft and I expected players to go around the avg draft price. With 14 teams bidding got out of hand fairly quickly so I had to overbid on players I wanted. I think next year I'll do better for the draft.

I actually don't expect Aroids to play this year and will probably drop him if I see a better DL player on the WW. But with two DL spots it doesn't hurt me to carry him for now.
Posted by TthomasJR
Houston, TX
Member since Sep 2006
17274 posts
Posted on 3/26/13 at 8:25 am to
I have RP's and other players available for an increase in speed.
Posted by Honkus
Member since Aug 2005
51036 posts
Posted on 3/26/13 at 8:39 am to
Great work on the rankings, pretty spot on.


I think I waiting too long to get back in the action after taking my top 2.. Which led to..

quote:

Least favorite pick: Jeff Samardzija $18


There were literally 0 SP2 left at this point, knew I had to go hard for JS (& Matt Moore-$22 for that matter).

That being said Cargo & Bats are OTB
Posted by floridatigah
FL
Member since Oct 2004
10395 posts
Posted on 3/26/13 at 8:44 am to
I have plenty of speed guys and am looking for saves, shoot me an offer if you see something.
Posted by PSU2LSU
Oxford MS
Member since Apr 2011
3144 posts
Posted on 3/26/13 at 9:51 am to
I changed my team name from Free Mumia to Nyjer please. I didn't want a convicted cop killer associated with my team.
Posted by swamie
Where opportunity meets hard work
Member since Jan 2007
27253 posts
Posted on 3/26/13 at 12:40 pm to
quote:

Matt Holliday was scratched from Tuesday's Grapefruit League lineup due to tightness in his left side.
No word on the severity, but an oblique injury this late in the spring wouldn't bode well for his readiness for the season. The Cardinals should provide an update on his status soon.


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