Fantasy

We continue our pick-by-pick coverage for the KFFL, K-FAD Expert League Draft.

To recap, the league is your standard roster (two catchers, five outfielders), 5x5 rotisserie, 12-team league. I get the chance to represent Fantasy Baseball Search to play against some of the toughest competitors and expert minds in the industry. After the first seven rounds, I felt very happy with the results of my draft.

In anticipation of the draft for The Hazean’s 2009 fantasy baseball challenge, I decided to dabble in some preseason projections.

The problem with that thought, though, is that I really do not spend as much time working on my fantasy baseball knowledge as I do football. So I brought in some fantasy baseball muscle to compile these projections.

Aaron McCoy, fantasy baseball connoisseur and a co-worker of mine, offered his fantasy baseball expertise for these rankings. I have to say they are pretty impressive and I might even use them to draft my team this weekend.

Vernon Wells tested his left hamstring on Wednesday and reported that he felt good.  I always tend to be a little suspicious of what the athletes tell the media. He’s trying to come back from his second hamstring injury in a year to this hamstring. I’m sure the Jays are going to be cautious at this stage of the season.

I am old school. I remember sitting in the bleachers in Ebbetts Field in the 1950s. My first game was, I think, the Dodgers against the Phillies in 1951. I was six. For the next six years, all I could think about was "The Giants win the pennant, the Giants win the pennant."

Broken hearted at age 12, I went into baseball hibernation until 1962. Baseball was back and The New York Mets were born and I was re-born.

In anticipation of the draft for The Hazean’s 2009 fantasy baseball challenge, I decided to dabble in some preseason projections.

The problem with that thought, though, is that I really do not spend as much time working on my fantasy baseball knowledge as I do football. So I brought in some fantasy baseball muscle to compile these projections.

This week, I am going to look at five outfielders, at least 36-years old at the start of the season, who have the potential to make an impact on fantasy rosters this season. 

The most obvious to be included is Manny Ramirez, but having recently discussed his signing (click here to read), we aren’t going to include him here.  Instead, let’s look at a few other potential options.

Raul Ibanez - Philadelphia Phillies - 36-years old

Round 11

Nelson Cruz broke out in a big way in AAA last year with 37 homers, and then hit seven more after coming to the big leagues. There are a few concerns about him however. One is that he is 29 years old, if he was this good why did it take so long for him to get to the majors. 

Two, the Pacific Coast League is known to inflate hitting stats.  Three, he had a few good seasons in the minors before, but nothing that approached his 2008 season.  He is a popular sleeper, just don’t stretch too far for him.