Fantasy Baseball

Our 2011 fantasy baseball projections will be released one-by-one until the top 100 players have been revealed. These rankings consider past achievements, current performance and expected future results based on standard 5×5 H2H settings.

Closers are the most overrated players in fantasy baseball.

Our 2011 fantasy baseball projections will be released one-by-one until the top 100 players have been revealed. These rankings consider past achievements, current performance and expected future results based on standard 5×5 H2H settings.

Aaron Hill ascended into the elite ranks of second basemen in 2009, posting a ridiculous line of: 103 runs, 36 HRs, 108 RBI, six steals, .286 batting average.

Our 2011 fantasy baseball projections will be released one-by-one until the top 100 players have been revealed. These rankings consider past achievements, current performance and expected future results based on standard 5×5 H2H settings.

Billy Butler regressed to just 15 HRs in 2010 after whacking 21 the season before. His ISO power also dropped from .191 to .151, fifth-lowest among qualified first basemen.

It's that time of the year again. It is time to get out those cheat sheets, try out your strategies in mock drafts and berate Matthew Berry for his love/hate articles. It is fantasy baseball season.

This is the year for all of us die-hard fantasy junkies to try to rekindle the magic from 2010, or come out of the fantasy cellar. 

Draft preparation is in full force. With spring training games in full swing, some breakout stars are making their case for a late-round selection, while solid veterans are trying to win you over for a first-round nod.

Forget “As the World Turns.” This is much more important. Much more dramatic.

As we continue to work our way through spring training 2011, we continue to have some interesting player updates that deserve our attention as fantasy baseball aficionados. You can call this “As the Spring Turns.” Or not.

Andrew Bailey, OAK.

Click here to enter the 2011 Fantasy Baseball Team Name Contest



Here’s an updated and expanded look at the 2011 closer rankings.

1.  Brian Wilson, San Francisco Giants:  Wilson led the Majors in saves (48) last year while posting a 1.81 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 93 Ks.

Middle relief is the most unheralded position in baseball.  In real life, middle relievers are usually the weakest links on their team’s pitching staff and in fantasy baseball they are usually ignored altogether. 

We still don’t know exactly what the situation is with Chase Utley.  It appears that he could miss some time, though how much is anyone’s guess. 

Will it be a week?  Will it be a month? 

Even if he is somehow able to be ready to start on Opening Day, at this point we all know that this is a potentially chronic knee problem.  Who’s to say that it doesn’t creep up in May or June or, even worse, September when your fantasy title is on the line?

Unlike my recent attempt to rank the 25 craftiest pitchers in baseball, it's a lot easier to quantify the best strikeout pitchers in the game.  One statistic in particular, the K/9 rate (strikeouts per nine innings), will get us most of the way there.

That doesn't mean this will simply be a list of the 25 pitchers with the best K/9 rates in 2010, though.  A couple other factors will also be at play.

We have been waiting since last October for the fun of the MLB season to start anew. On Mar. 31, 2011 we will get our wish. By that day, all clubs are required to reduce rosters to 25 players and play ball! We have seen changes occurs this offseason as we typically do each year but one thing seems to remain consistent. The same powerhouse teams appear to be set to make a run at the postseason and the World Series.