Fantasy

Just look at the names in this week's UTK and you'll see the issue. Giancarlo Stanton, Zack Greinke, Troy Tulowitzki, Stephen Strasburg—these are big-time stars, with most making big time money or carrying the hopes of a franchise on their back.

Giancarlo Stanton looks like Superman, but injuries have been his kryptonite. On a hustle play in extra innings Monday night, Stanton racked up another injury. This time it is a hamstring strain that could cost Stanton a month or more, depending on the severity.

Picking busts is about value.

Scratch that. It's about lack of value compared to expected return.

In other words, just because Maicer Izturis is hitting .162 and having a truly atrocious season, no fantasy owner in their right mind was expecting much, if anything, from him in the first place, so Izturis was ignored in drafts.

Last week, two of my three “Buy Low” picks, Carlos Gomez (10-for-18, HR, 3B in last week) and Homer Bailey (8 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 BB, 10 K in last start), came through while the third, Ike Davis, finally broke out on Friday with a two-homer game.

Fantasy baseball is in full swing this season as Week 3 is upon us.

Waiver-wire adds and drops during this time are crucial in building a team that is bound to keep you—and your wallet—happy come September. 

This is also a time in the fantasy season that feels to me like a sort of limbo. Some perennial stars are experiencing early-season slumps, and young guys are coming out of nowhere and filling in for those slumping studs. 

It's been a surprising start to the MLB season, especially in the fantasy world.

Chris Davis, John Buck and Matt Harvey, players that most likely weren't the first players chosen on anyone's draft board, have taken the league by storm over the first week.

And a few other more recognizable names have let down their managers, both in major league and fantasy baseball.

The 2013 Major League Baseball season is just getting underway, and at this early juncture, there is plenty of time to pick out fantasy sleepers that will produce for your team throughout the year.

Several talented American League youngsters stand out thanks to their upside and flashes of promise from their previous campaigns. All three have short track records in the big leagues but have shown signs that they can get the job done in their brief careers.

Finding a bunch of players on the verge of a "breakout" season isn't necessarily all that hard. Finding a bunch of almost universally-undrafted players who are on the verge of a "breakout" season? That's a little tougher.

Anyone can make a case for the Rays' Matt Moore, the Cubs' Anthony Rizzo or the Mets' Matt Harvey, all young promising players ready to take the step from good to great as breakout candidates in 2013. But each of them were selected in every draft out there, often in the middle rounds.

I made it to Opening Day.

This year, Opening Day meant more than most years, since I was the one that almost went on the DL. Instead, I stood on the field Monday in Milwaukee, looking at the steel roof above the green grass and loving that it was once again baseball season. It was an amazing feeling, talking with so many media friends and having everyone from Doug Melvin to Ryan Braun pausing to ask how I was feeling. 

There is something to be said about anchoring your fantasy baseball team with players that have already reached their potential.


That said, there is always a new crop, often made up of younger players, that take their game to the next level. Here’s a look at some National League Central fantasy baseball breakout candidates.