Fantasy

The landscape of the closing situation for a few teams might have changed in the short-term, or perhaps even the long-term on Monday as three of the better closers in baseball either want to change roles, experienced some soreness, or likely suffered season ending injuries. A few guys who had next to zero fantasy value yesterday could be good late round sleepers tomorrow.

Previously, The Fantasy Fix reviewed and gave projections for the 2011 Blue Jays rotation. Now it's time to dive in and analyze these north-of-the-border bombers' positional players.

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

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?

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.

Once thought of as a thin position in fantasy baseball, the 2B talent pool has grown considerably in the last few years; so much so that you could get good value for taking a second baseman in the later rounds. Here are my mid-spring training rankings for second basemen. 

Please Note: Stats are listed as: Average, HR, RBI, Runs, SB/Attempts and AB. The player’s age at the start of the 2011 season is next to his team's name.

With less than three weeks till Opening Day (I don't count the night game before), Major League Baseball is almost here. So is your fantasy baseball draft. No better time than now to start preparing for it.

Here are my mid-spring training rankings for the closer position.

Please Note: Stats are listed as: Wins, ERA, Saves/Opportunities, Strikeouts, WHIP and IP for the 2010 season. The player’s age at the start of the 2011 season is next to his team’s name.

If you have played fantasy baseball the last 2-3 years, you know who the top 20-40 picks will be in your draft. The smart owners are the ones who can predict who is due to "break out" or come back to form after a season or two of mediocrity. Here is my list off players flying under most mock draft radar screens.

And don't forget to buy The Fantasy Fix's 2011 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit.

As baseball season approaches, many of us pore over spring training statistics to find some players worth taking in our fantasy drafts, so let’s take a look at some of the leaders and weigh their draftability.

Phil Coke, Detroit Tigers: Coke is 2-1 with a 1.38 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP, with nine strikeout in 13 innings. He’s worth a flier in deep leagues.

OK, so this article has nothing to do with Charlie Sheen, but the following players are guys that will be on WINNING fantasy baseball teams in 2011. They are also players that I have a total man crush on, but hey Mr. Sheen is topical so you have to capitalize on pop culture.

But like he seems to have a crush on hookers and blow, man crushes are a big part of fantasy drafts, and everyone has them. So feel free to shout out your favorite players to the tune of "It's Raining Men" because you will not be judged.