Fantasy

Through three innings, Cole Hamels looked like his old self again. He struck out six of the first nine batters he faced. Then in the fourth he gave up a two run homer to Ryan Braun, and then was struck on the shoulder with a batted ball by big ole' Prince Fielder. Fantasy owners around the country have been holding their breath but, thankfully, tonight I am reading that it is just a bruise, and Hamels says he will be out there for his next start.

Chien-Ming Wang, a starting pitcher for the New York Yankees, has had an absolutely terrible start to the season.  In three starts this season, his record is 0-3 with an ERA of 34.50 and a 2/6 K/BB ratio.  Is this guy worth taking a chance on in your fantasy league?

Prior to the start of this season, Wang had been showing declining control.

2006: 2.1 BB/9

2007: 2.7 BB/9

2008: 3.3 BB/9

Chien-Ming Wang, a starting pitcher for the New York Yankees, has had an absolutely terrible start to the season.  In three starts this season, his record is 0-3 with an ERA of 34.50 and a 2/6 K/BB ratio.  Is this guy worth taking a chance on in your fantasy league?

Prior to the start of this season, Wang had been showing declining control.

2006: 2.1 BB/9

2007: 2.7 BB/9

2008: 3.3 BB/9

Want to know what's going to happen before it happens? Then The Fantasy Oracle is for you.

Two weeks of this season are in the books, and with a number of players off to outstanding starts, the question becomes “How much longer will they continue to perform at this level?” Are they headed for a slump, or just a correction?

The same can be said for the players who are off to poor starts. Is this slump going to be season-long, or will they break out? If they do breakout—the $64,000 question is when exactly they will break out.

With Lastings Milledge getting demoted to the minors, Elijah Dukes has become the top center fielder for the Washington Nationals.

The question now becomes should you go out and roster him?

My answer: absolutely!  You have to get this guy on your reserve list or on your bench, even if you are in a standard mixed 5×5 league.  What can he bring to your team?

As some of you may already know, the Bleacher Report fantasy baseball gurus Scott Fender and Collin Hager of the Elmhurst Pub Roundtable put together a Bleacher Report fantasy baseball league.  I'm one of the lucky participants—please allow myself to introduce...myself: I'm Brian Wey, manager of the team "End of the Dugout."

Want to know what's going to happen before it happens? Then you've come to the right place, as Matt breaks down the trends that will give you that edge you need this fantasy baseball season.

In last week's column, I analyzed 10 players, and predicted whether or not they would excel in the month of April based on historical results for that player during April, as well as their production against the teams that they will be facing during the month.

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The fantasy baseball season is here upon us.  We sit Six days away from the first pitch of the regular season and draft boards are filling in everywhere.

by Derek of The Sportmeisters

The Sportmeisters Fantasy Guru, Derek, reveals his updated Relief Pitcher rankings, with auction values and new projections.