Fantasy

Everybody wants King Felix and Tim Lincecum, but there are some value picks that will help you dominate the strikeout category. All average draft positions are from Mock Draft Central.

Jonathan Sanchez, San Francisco Giants

We all want Joe Mauer, but only one owner can come away with him. Don’t fret. There are other options to give you a boost in the batting average category. All average draft positions are from Mock Draft Central.

When the top RBI guys are off the board, there are still value picks that can help you in that category.

Average Draft Positions are from Mock Draft Central.


Catcher

Kurt Suzuki, Oakland A’s: Suzuki had 71 RBI last year and 88 in 2009. Both years he had the fourth RBI among catchers.

Finding pitchers who help in the WHIP department is not always an easy task; finding one late in your draft (after Round 18) is even tougher. 

Here are five pitchers who I have projected for a 1.30 WHIP or better who are available late in your draft (based on Mock Draft Central’s ADP):

Brian Matusz – Baltimore Orioles

He may be a tough sell, considering that he is entering his second full season and is pitching in the AL East. 

With Francisco Rodriguez's talent and lack of competition on the Mets, he seems like a lock to be the NY Mets' closer this year and rack up plenty of saves. 

He certainly has a lot to prove.  Professional athletes who have run into negative press frequently, use success on the field as a way to earn their way back into the good graces of the fans and the media.

In 2010, it was definitely the year of the pitcher. But early injuries so far have it looking as if the 2011 season may be the year of the injured pitcher.

During a normal spring training, I would be sitting here telling readers to go ahead and take a chance on someone like a Dontrelle Willis because, worst case scenario, you drop him two weeks in and you’re still fine.

Every year, there is hype around the top prospects in baseball, and someone is always willing to take them in the middle rounds—hoping to catch the next star early on.

Last year, it was Stephen Strasburg, who is still being drafted in leagues this year despite having Tommy John Surgery in the offseason.

The flavor of 2011, however, is Bryce Harper.

Previously, The Fantasy Fix reviewed and gave projections for the 2011 Tampa Bay Rays rotation. Now, it's time to dive in and analyze the Rays' positional players.

Don't forget to check out our 2011 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit

The definition of a reach is to pay for stats that a player has never been able to put up before.  Why pay for Mike Stanton like he’s going to hit 40 home runs?  Even if he does hit 40, you received no extra value because that’s what you paid for.  It’s not likely he will exceed those expectations, and if he under performs you made a bad investment.

The Oakland Athletics dodged a major bullet this week when it was revealed that Andrew Bailey “only” suffered a strain to his elbow.  While that news is great, at this point we still have no clue exactly when Bailey will be able to return to the mound.  You have to think that he is going to miss the beginning of the season, especially with Brian Fuentes in place to step into the role.

How does this affect the rankings?  Let’s take a look: