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News-Herald Assistant Sports Editor Kevin Kleps doesn’t just write headlines and stories. He also checks on his fantasy sports teams. A lot. See if the moves and news from the world of sports affect your fantasy teams.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Fantasy baseball: Early 2012 rankings -- top 100 overall

So much for the most difficult draft-day decision.

The news this week that Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun won't be suspended -- much to Major League Baseball's chagrin, and much to the delight of the fantasy geek in many of us -- changes everything.

OK, not everything. But it does change the pecking order in the outfield and the first round of our drafts.

I was willing to commit a fourth-round pick to the reigning National League MVP when I thought he would miss the first 50 games of the season.

Now: I'd select him over Jose Bautista, Matt Kemp and the other stud outfielders, and I'd consider him ahead of Miguel Cabrera at No. 2 overall. Cabrera gets the nod for one reason: His switch to third base, which increases his value.

On to our early top 100 ...

1. Albert Pujols, 1B, Angels
2. Miguel Cabrera, 3B, Tigers
3. Ryan Braun, OF, Brewers
4. Jose Bautista, OF, Blue Jays
5. Matt Kemp, OF, Dodgers
6. Troy Tulowitzki, SS, Rockies
7. Justin Verlander, SP, Tigers
8. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B, Red Sox
9. Joey Votto, 1B, Reds
10. Jacoby Ellsbury, OF, Red Sox
11. Robinson Cano, 2B, Yankees
12. Prince Fielder, 1B, Tigers
13. Clayton Kershaw, SP, Dodgers
14. Roy Halladay, SP, Phillies
15. Curtis Granderson, OF, Yankees
16. Jose Reyes, SS, Marlins
17. Hanley Ramirez, 3B, Marlins
18. Dustin Pedroia, 2B, Red Sox
19. Cliff Lee, SP, Phillies
20. Carlos Gonzalez, OF, Rockies
21. Justin Upton, OF, Diamondbacks
22. Evan Longoria, 3B, Rays
23. Tim Lincecum, SP, Giants
24. Ian Kinsler, 2B, Rangers
25. Jered Weaver, SP, Angels
26. Josh Hamilton, OF, Rangers
27. Matt Holliday, OF, Cardinals
28. Andrew McCutchen, OF, Pirates
29. David Wright, 3B, Mets
30. Adrian Beltre, 3B, Rangers
31. CC Sabathia, SP, Yankees
32. Mark Teixeira, 1B, Yankees
33. Felix Hernandez, SP, Mariners
34. Cole Hamels, SP, Phillies
35. Hunter Pence, OF, Phillies
36. Shane Victorino, OF, Phillies
37. Mike Stanton, OF, Marlins
38. Ian Kennedy, SP, Diamondbacks
39. David Price, SP, Rays
40. Dan Haren, SP, Diamondbacks
41. Alex Gordon, OF, Royals
42. Nelson Cruz, OF, Rangers
43. Michael Young, DH, Rangers
44. Kevin Youkilis, 3B, Red Sox
45. Asdrubal Cabrera, SS, Indians
46. Brandon Phillips, 2B, Reds
47. Chase Utley, 2B, Phillies
48. Ben Zobrist, 2B, Rays
49. Carlos Santana, C, Indians
50. Alex Rodriguez, 3B, Yankees
51. Ryan Zimmerman, 3B, Nationals
52. Brian McCann, C, Braves
53. Mike Napoli, C, Rangers
54. Carl Crawford, OF, Red Sox
55. Jimmy Rollins, SS, Phillies
56. Starlin Castro, SS, Cubs
57. Dan Uggla, 2B, Braves
58. Paul Konerko, 1B, White Sox
59. Jay Bruce, OF, Reds
60. Buster Posey, C, Giants
61. James Shields, SP, Rays
62. Jon Lester, SP, Red Sox
63. Stephen Strasburg, SP, Nationals
64. Craig Kimbrel, RP, Braves
65. Pablo Sandoval, 3B, Giants
66. Aramis Ramirez, 3B, Brewers
67. Zack Greinke, SP, Brewers
68. David Ortiz, DH, Red Sox
69. Alex Avila, C, Tigers
70. Lance Berkman, 1B, Cardinals
71. Shin-Soo Choo, OF, Indians
72. Elvis Andrus, SS, Rangers
73. Michael Bourn, OF, Braves
74. Desmond Jennings, OF, Rays
75. Jonathan Papelbon, RP, Phillies
76. John Axford, RP, Brewers
77. C.J. Wilson, SP, Angels
78. Yovani Gallardo, SP, Brewers
79. Rickie Weeks, 2B, Brewers
80. Madison Bumgarner, SP, Giants
81. Tommy Hanson, SP, Braves
82. Michael Pineda, SP, Yankees
83. Mariano Rivera, RP, Yankees
84. Michael Morse, OF, Nationals
85. Billy Butler, DH, Royals
86. Drew Storen, RP, Nationals
87. Chris Young, OF, Diamondbacks
88. Michael Cuddyer, OF, Rockies
89. Jason Heyward, OF, Braves
90. Josh Beckett, SP, Red Sox
91. Ryan Howard, 1B, Phillies
92. Corey Hart, OF, Brewers
93. Eric Hosmer, 1B, Royals
94. Joe Mauer, C, Twins
95. Miguel Montero, C, Diamondbacks
96. Chris Carpenter, SP, Cardinals
97. Carlos Beltran, OF, Cardinals
98. Andre Ethier, OF, Dodgers
99. Adam Jones, OF, Orioles
100. Jeff Francoeur, OF, Royals

Last five out: Brian Wilson, RP, Giants; Howard Kendrick, 2B, Angels; Adam Lind, 1B, Blue Jays; J.J. Hardy, SS, Orioles; Derek Jeter, SS, Yankees.

Top 100 by position: Outfielders 29, starting pitchers 23, third basemen 10, first basemen 9, second basemen 8, catchers 7, shortstops 6, closers 5, designated hitters 3.

PREVIOUS:  Catchers, first basemen, second basemen, shortstops, third basemen, designated hitters, outfielders, starting pitchers, closers

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Monday, February 20, 2012

Fantasy baseball: Early 2012 rankings -- closers

Don't draft a wide receiver first overall.

Don't take a pitcher first overall.

Don't let the amusing Joe Mauer commercials fool you into believing he is still a top-three catcher.

We all have our rules in fantasy.

Another of mine: Don't take a closer early.

It's an argument for another day, but the basic premise is there is value at the position in the middle to late rounds, and avoiding the inevitable closer run in your draft allows you to stock up at other (much more important) positions.

Braves pitcher Craig Kimbrel is a rare player who will make me question that philosophy.

In his career, he has struck out 167 batters in 97 2/3 innings -- a ridiculous average of 15.4 Ks per nine innings. In 2011, his first full big-league season, Kimbrel set a rookie record with 46 saves, and posted a 2.10 ERA and 127 Ks in 77 innings.

He's a stud. But he's a closer, which means you shouldn't take him in the first five rounds of a 12-team league. In points-based leagues, which minimize closers more than rotisserie formats, Kimbrel should go even lower.

On to our final set of position rankings. We'll finish the early rankings rush later this week with our top 100 overall.

Note: All players are ranked at the positions at which they are expected to spend the most time in 2012, not all positions at which they are eligible. ... Stats are from 2011.

Rank, player, team IP, W-L, ERA, K, SV-Opp
1. Craig Kimbrel, Braves 77, 4-3, 2.10, 127, 46-54
2. Jonathan Papelbon, Phillies 64.1, 4-1, 2.94, 87, 31-34
3. John Axford, Brewers 73.2, 2-2, 1.95, 86, 46-48
4. Mariano Rivera, Yankees 61.1, 1-2, 1.91, 60, 44-49
5. Drew Storen, Nationals 75.1, 6-3, 2.75, 74, 43-48
6. Brian Wilson, Giants 55, 6-4, 3.11, 54, 36-41
7. Heath Bell, Marlins 62.2, 3-4, 2.44, 51, 43-48
8. J.J. Putz, Diamondbacks 58, 2-2, 2.17, 61, 45-49
9. Jose Valverde, Tigers 72.1, 2-4, 2.24, 69, 49-49
10. Joakim Soria, Royals 60.1, 5-5, 4.03, 60, 28-35
11. Ryan Madson, Reds 60.2, 4-2, 2.37, 62, 32-34
12. Joel Hanrahan, Pirates 68.2, 1-4, 1.83, 61, 40-44
13. Andrew Bailey, Red Sox 41.2, 0-4, 3.24, 41, 24-26
14. Jason Motte, Cardinals 68, 5-2, 2.25, 63, 9-13
15. Sergio Santos, Blue Jays 63.1, 4-5, 3.55, 92, 30-36
16. Carlos Marmol, Cubs 74, 2-6, 4.01, 99, 34-44
17. Jordan Walden, Angels 60.1, 5-5, 2.98, 26, 67, 32-42
18. Joe Nathan, Rangers 44.2, 2-1, 4.84, 43, 14-17
19. Chris Perez, Indians 59.2, 4-7, 3.32, 39, 36-40
20. Huston Street, Padres 58.1, 1-4, 3.86, 55, 29-33

Last three out: Brandon League, Mariners; Kyle Farnsworth, Rays; Javy Guerra, Dodgers.

Eligibility notes: As we noted in the rankings of the starting pitchers, Texas' Neftali Feliz and Tampa Bay's Matt Moore will begin the year in the rotation of their respective teams. If you are in a deep league and must play multiple relievers, start them as relievers if possible.

Key stats: Expect Papelbon to have a monster first season in Philly. Prior to 2011, he had averaged 37.6 saves in his previous five seasons. Last year, his save total dropped to 31, but he struck out 87 in 64 1/3 innings and blew only three save chances. As a team, the Phillies have averaged 44.5 saves per year since 2008.

PREVIOUS: Catchers, first basemen, second basemen, shortstops, third basemen, designated hitters, outfielders, starting pitchers

NEXT: Top 100 overall

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Monday, February 13, 2012

Fantasy baseball: Early 2012 rankings -- starting pitchers

We don't know what to expect from Yu Darvish, the Japanese pitcher the Rangers signed to a six-year, $60 million contract -- after submitting a $51.7 posting bid to the Nippon Ham Fighters.

Will Darvish be worth anywhere close to $112 million? Probably not.

Will he be a very good mid-round selection in fantasy? Probably.

In 2011, Darvish was 18-6 with a 1.44 ERA. In 232 innings, he struck out 276, walked only 36 and had a 0.83 WHIP.

In his five-year career in Japan, Darvish was a combined 76-28 with a 1.72 ERA. In 1,024 1/3 innings, he struck out 1,083 (9.5 Ks per nine innings), allowed just 691 hits, walked 221 and had a 0.89 WHIP. He posted a 1.88 ERA or better in all five seasons.

Granted, it wasn't Major League Baseball. But you should be confident Darvish will be an effective third starter in a 12-team league.

We have him ranked 30th below, but would understand if some owners preferred Darvish over the players ranked 22nd through 29th.

On to our first set of pitcher rankings heading into spring training ...

Note: All players are ranked at the positions at which they are expected to spend the most time in 2012, not all positions at which they are eligible. ... Stats are from 2011.

Rank, player, team IP, W-L, ERA, BB, K
1. Justin Verlander, Tigers 251, 24-5, 2.40, 57, 250
2. Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers 233.1, 21-5, 2.28, 54, 248
3. Roy Halladay, Phillies 233.2, 19-6, 2.35, 35, 220
4. Cliff Lee, Phillies 232.2, 17-8, 2.40, 42, 238
5. Tim Lincecum, Giants 217, 13-14, 2.74, 86, 220
6. Jered Weaver, Angels 235.2, 18-8, 2.41, 56, 198
7. CC Sabathia, Yankees 237.1, 19-8, 3.00, 61, 230
8. Felix Hernandez, Mariners 233.2, 14-14, 3.47, 67, 222
9. Cole Hamels, Phillies 216, 14-9, 2.79, 44, 194
10. Ian Kennedy, Diamondbacks 222, 21-4, 2.88, 55, 198
11. David Price, Rays 224.1, 12-13, 3.49, 63, 218
12. Dan Haren, Diamondbacks 238.1, 16-10, 3.17, 33, 192
13. James Shields, Rays 249.1, 16-12, 2.82, 65, 225
14. Jon Lester, Red Sox 191.2, 15-9, 3.47, 75, 182
15. Stephen Strasburg, Nationals 24, 1-1, 1.50, 2, 24
16. Zack Greinke, Brewers 171.2, 16-6, 3.83, 45, 201
17. C.J. Wilson, Angels 223.1, 16-7, 2.94, 74, 206
18. Yovani Gallardo, Brewers 207.1, 17-10, 3.52, 59, 207
19. Madison Bumgarner, Giants 204.2, 13-13, 3.21, 46, 191
20. Tommy Hanson, Braves 130, 11-7, 3.60, 46, 142
21. Michael Pineda, Yankees 171, 9-10, 3.74, 55, 173
22. Josh Beckett, Red Sox 193, 13-7, 2.89, 52, 175
23. Chris Carpenter, Cardinals 237.1, 11-9, 3.45, 55, 191
24. Matt Cain, Giants 222.1, 12-11, 2.88, 63, 179
25. Josh Johnson, Marlins 60.1, 3-1, 1.64, 20, 56
26. Ricky Romero, Blue Jays 225, 15-11, 2.92, 80, 178
27. Adam Wainwright, Cardinals DNP
28. Gio Gonzalez, Nationals 202, 16-12, 3.12, 91, 197
29. Mat Latos, Reds 194.1, 9-14, 3.47, 62, 185
30. x-Yu Darvish, Rangers 232, 18-6, 1.44, 36, 276
31. Daniel Hudson, Diamondbacks 222, 16-12, 3.49, 50, 169
32. Jeremy Hellickson, Rays 189, 13-10, 2.95, 72, 117
33. Ubaldo Jimenez, Indians 188.1, 10-13, 4.68, 78, 180
34. Justin Masterson, Indians 216, 12-10, 3.21, 65, 158
35. Tim Hudson, Braves 215, 16-10, 3.22, 56, 158
36. Matt Garza, Cubs 198, 10-10, 3.32, 63, 197
37. Brandon Beachy, Braves 141.2, 7-3, 3.68, 46, 169
38. Clay Buchholz, Red Sox 82.2, 6-3, 3.48, 31, 60
39. Ervin Santana, Angels 228.2, 11-12, 3.38, 72, 178
40. Jair Jurrjens, Braves 152, 13-6, 2.96, 44, 90
41. Trevor Cahill, Diamondbacks 207.2, 12-14, 4.16, 82, 147
42. Max Scherzer, Tigers 195, 15-9, 4.43, 56, 174
43. Brandon Morrow, Blue Jays 179.1, 11-11, 4.72, 69, 203
44. Jaime Garcia, Cardinals 194.2, 13-7, 3.56, 50, 156
45. Derek Holland, Rangers 198, 16-5, 3.95, 67, 162
46. Johnny Cueto, Reds 156, 9-5, 2.31, 47, 104
47. Doug Fister, Tigers 216.1, 11-13, 2.83, 37, 146
48. Anibal Sanchez, Marlins 196.1, 8-9, 3.67, 64, 202
49. Neftali Feliz, Rangers 62.1, 2-3, 2.74, 30, 54
50. Shaun Marcum, Brewers 200.2, 13-7, 3.56, 50, 156
51. Colby Lewis, Rangers 200.1, 14-10, 4.40, 56, 169
52. Francisco Liriano, Twins 134.1, 9-10, 5.09, 75, 112
53. Chad Billingsley, Dodgers 188, 11-11, 4.21, 84, 152
54. Wandy Rodriguez, Astros 191, 11-11, 3.49, 69, 166
55. Jordan Zimmermann, Nationals 161.1, 8-11, 3.18, 31, 124
56. Vance Worley, Phillies 131.2, 11-3, 3.01, 46, 119
57. Jhoulys Chacin, Rockies 194, 11-14, 3.62, 87, 150
58. Matt Moore, Rays 10, 1-0, 0.90, 3, 8
59. Ivan Nova, Yankees 165.1, 16-4, 3.70, 57, 98
60. Ryan Vogelsong, Giants 179.2, 13-7, 2.71, 61, 139
61. Hiroki Kuroda, Yankees 202, 13-16, 3.07, 49, 161
62. Scott Baker, Twins 134.2, 8-6, 3.14, 32, 123
63. John Danks, White Sox 170.1, 8-12, 4.33, 46, 135
64. Roy Oswalt, free agent 139, 9-10, 3.69, 33, 93
65. Ryan Dempster, Cubs 202.1, 10-14, 3.80, 82, 191
66. Mike Minor, Braves 82.2, 5-3, 4.14, 30, 77
67. Jonathan Sanchez, Royals 101.1, 4-7, 4.26, 66, 102
68. Phil Hughes, Yankees 74.2, 5-5, 5.79, 27, 47
69. Ricky Nolasco, Marlins 206, 10-12, 4.67, 44, 148
70. Gavin Floyd, White Sox 193.2, 12-13, 4.37, 45, 151
71. Cory Luebke, Padres 139.2, 6-10, 3.29, 44, 154
72. Matt Harrison, Rangers 185.2, 14-9, 3.39, 57, 126
73. Bud Norris, Astros 186, 6-11, 3.77, 70, 176
74. Josh Collmenter, Diamondbacks 154.1, 10-10, 3.38, 28, 100
75. Johan Santana, Mets 199, 11-9, 2.98, 55, 144
76. Chris Sale, White Sox 71, 2-2, 2.79, 27, 79
77. Mark Buehrle, Marlins 205.1, 13-9, 3.59, 45, 109
78. Ted Lilly, Dodgers 192.2, 12-14, 3.97, 51, 158
79. Brandon McCarthy, Athletics 170.2, 9-9, 3.32, 25, 123
80. Tim Stauffer, Padres 185.2, 9-12, 3.73, 53, 128
x-Stats with the Nippon Ham Fighters in Japan

Last five out: Alexi Ogando, Rangers; Jake Peavy, White Sox; Mike Leake, Reds; Homer Bailey, Reds; Jeff Niemann, Rays.

Eligibility notes: Neftali Feliz is making the move from Texas' bullpen to its starting rotation. If you are in a deep league in which you start multiple relievers, take advantage of Feliz's eligibility as a reliever. ... The same goes for the Rays' Matt Moore, who started once and was a reliever in two games as a rookie in 2011.

Key stats:  You have to admire the consistency of Halladay, who will turn 35 in May. In his last four seasons, he is a combined 77-37 with 853 strikeouts. He has six straight seasons with at least 16 wins, and he has recorded 206 or more Ks with an ERA of 2.79 or better in each of the last four campaigns.

PREVIOUS: Catchers, first basemen, second basemen, shortstops, third basemen, designated hitters, outfielders

NEXT: Closers

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Thursday, February 9, 2012

Fantasy baseball: Early 2012 rankings -- outfielders

When do you select Ryan Braun?

In my mind, that's the most difficult decision on draft day.

With the Brewers outfielder and reigning National League MVP facing a 50-game suspension for allegedly testing positive for having an elevated testosterone level in a drug test, you must decide if you want to take a top-three talent in the third, fourth or fifth round.

If Braun was scheduled to play from the start of the season, I'd rank him No. 3 overall, behind Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera. Now, his season likely won't begin until Milwaukee's 50th game, which is scheduled for Thursday, May 31.

If you select Braun, you could play him the week he returns and get four games out of the player who batted .332 with 109 runs, 33 homers, 111 RBI and 33 steals last season. Or you could wait and play him the following week, which is Week 9.

The dilemma: Eight or nine weeks without a player you'll be tempted to take in the third round, once most of the hammers have come off the board.

The solution: Select Braun as your No. 2 outfielder, after you have taken a stud in the first few rounds. That way, his absence won't be felt as much for the first eight weeks.

In our overall top 100, which we will post after the rankings of the starting pitchers and closers, we have Braun No. 42 overall -- an ideal mid-fourth-round pick in a 12-team league.

At that point, he will be much too good to pass up.

If the opposing owners give you grief about the eight or nine weeks Braun will be out of your lineup, give them these numbers: .312, 101, 32, 106 and 19. Those are Braun's five-year career norms for batting average, runs scored, homers, RBI and steals, respectively.

On to the top 60 outfielders ...

Note: All players are ranked at the positions at which they are expected to spend the most time in 2012, not all positions at which they are eligible. ... Stats are from 2011.

Rank, player, team R-HR-RBI-SB-Avg.
1. Jose Bautista, Blue Jays 105-43-103-9-.302
2. Matt Kemp, Dodgers 115-39-126-40-.324
3. Jacoby Ellsbury, Red Sox 119-32-105-39-.321
4. Curtis Granderson, Yankees 136-41-119-25-.262
5. Carlos Gonzalez, Rockies 92-26-92-20-.295
6. Justin Upton, Diamondbacks 105-31-88-21-.289
7. Josh Hamilton, Rangers 80-25-94-8-.298
8. Matt Holliday, Cardinals 83-22-75-2-.296
9. Andrew McCutchen, Pirates 87-23-89-23-.259
10. Hunter Pence, Astros 84-22-97-8-.314
11. Shane Victorino, Phillies 95-17-61-19-.279
12. Mike Stanton, Marlins 79-34-87-5-.262
13. Alex Gordon, Royals 101-23-87-17-.303
14. Nelson Cruz, Rangers 64-29-87-9-.263
15. Ryan Braun, Brewers 109-33-111-33-.332
16. Carl Crawford, Red Sox 65-11-56-18-.255
17. Jay Bruce, Reds 84-32-97-8-.256
18. Shin-Soo Choo, Indians 37-8-36-12-.259
19. Michael Bourn, Braves 94-2-50-61-.294
20. Desmond Jennings, Rays 44-10-25-20-.259
21. Michael Morse, Nationals 73-31-95-2-.289
22. Chris Young, Diamondbacks 89-20-71-22-.236
23. Michael Cuddyer, Twins 70-20-70-11-.284
24. Jason Heyward, Braves 50-14-42-9-.227
25. Corey Hart, Brewers 80-26-63-7-.285
26. Carlos Beltran, Cardinals 78-22-84-4-.300
27. Andre Ethier, Dodgers 67-11-62-0-.292
28. Adam Jones, Orioles 68-25-83-12-.280
29. Jeff Francoeur, Royals 77-20-87-22-.285
30. Jayson Werth, Nationals 69-20-58-19-.232
31. Martin Prado, Braves 66-13-57-4-.260
32. Melky Cabrera, Giants 102-18-87-20-.305
33. Nick Markakis, Orioles 72-15-73-12-.284
34. B.J. Upton, Rays 82-23-81-36-.243
35. Nick Swisher, Yankees 81-23-85-2-.260
36. Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners 80-5-47-40-.272
37. Drew Stubbs, Reds 92-15-44-40-.243
38. Coco Crisp, Athletics 69-8-54-49-.264
39. Logan Morrison, Marlins 54-23-72-2-.247
40. Delmon Young, Tigers 54-12-64-1-.268
41. Brett Gardner, Yankees 87-7-36-49-.259
42. Emilio Bonifacio, Marlins 78-5-36-40-.296
43. Alex Rios, White Sox 64-13-44-11-.227
44. Matt Joyce, Rays 69-19-75-13-.277
45. Carlos Quentin, Padres 53-24-77-1-.254
46. Brennan Boesch, Tigers 75-16-54-5-.283
47. Cameron Maybin, Padres 82-9-40-40-.264
48. Angel Pagan, Giants 68-7-56-32-.262
49. Torii Hunter, Angels 80-23-82-5-.262
50. Peter Bourjos, Angels 72-12-43-22-.271
51. Colby Rasmus, Blue Jays 75-14-53-5-.225
52. Jose Tabata, Pirates 53-4-21-16-.266
53. Lucas Duda, Mets 38-10-50-1-.292
54. Jason Kubel, Diamondbacks 37-12-58-1-.273
55. Josh Willingham, Twins 69-29-98-4-.246
56. Vernon Wells, Angels 60-25-66-9-.218
57. John Mayberry, Phillies 37-15-49-8-.273
58. Austin Jackson, Tigers 90-10-45-22-.249
59. Alfonso Soriano, Cubs 50-26-88-2-.244
60. Dexter Fowler, Rockies 84-5-45-12-.266

Last three out: Denard Span, Twins; Jon Jay, Cardinals; Grady Sizemore, Indians.

Eligibility notes: The Rays' Ben Zobrist is eligible in the outfield, but is much more valuable at second base. ... The Cardinals' Lance Berkman is listed at first base, where he is taking over for Albert Pujols.

Key stats: Bautista is deserving of top-three overall status after averaging 49 home runs, 114 RBI, 107 runs and nine stolen bases the last two seasons. In 2011, he increased his batting average 42 points to .302.

PREVIOUS: Catchers, first basemen, second basemen, shortstops, third basemen, designated hitters

NEXT: Starting pitchers

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Fantasy baseball: Early 2012 rankings -- designated hitters

Aside from David Ortiz and Billy Butler, there isn't much of a reason to draft a designated hitter.

Yes, we have the Rangers' Michael Young ranked first below, but that is only because DH is his primary position. In fantasy, he should be eligible at first and third base, and you might even be able to play Young at second, where he appeared in 14 games last season.

Obviously, you're likely much better off playing the .338 hitter in the infield than having him eat up your utility position. That leaves us with Ortiz, Butler and ...

Kendrys Morales?

You might remember Morales from 2009, when he caught our attention by hitting .306 with 34 homers and 108 RBI. You likely recall him from 2010, when he was having another productive season (.290, 11 homers and 39 RBI in 193 at-bats) before he fractured his ankle in a celebration that followed his walkoff grand slam.

Last month, The Sports Xchange reported Morales has looked impressive in batting practice. The Angels clearly would love him to return to health, giving them an everyday DH and lineup protection for Albert Pujols.

If that's the case, Morales is a very interesting late-round fantasy pick. For now, though, we're skeptical -- he hasn't played since May 29, 2010. Then there is Mark Trumbo, who had 29 homers and 87 RBI as a rookie for the Angels last season.

With Pujols at first, there are only so many available at-bats for the likes of Morales, Trumbo and Bobby Abreu.

If Morales is healthy, he should be the regular, with Trumbo filling a utility role as a backup DH, first baseman and possibly even at third. Because Morales hasn't played in nearly two years, we'll give Trumbo a slight nod for now.

Note: All players are ranked at the positions at which they are expected to spend the most time in 2012, not all positions at which they are eligible. ... Stats are from 2011.

Rank, player, team R-HR-RBI-SB-Avg.
1. Michael Young, Rangers 88-11-106-6-.338
2. David Ortiz, Red Sox 84-29-96-1-.309
3. Billy Butler, Royals 74-19-95-2-.291
4. Mark Trumbo, Angels 65-29-87-9-.254
5. Kendrys Morales, Angels DNP
6. Johnny Damon, free agent 79-16-73-19-.261
7. Travis Hafner, Indians 41-13-57-0-.280
8. Edwin Encarnacion, Blue Jays 70-17-55-8-.272
9. Vladimir Guerrero, free agent 60-13-63-2-.290
10. Adam Dunn, White Sox 36-11-42-0-.159

Key stats: Young's power went down in 2011, but his batting average and RBI were career highs. If he can reach his 2009 and '10 level of 22 and 21 home runs, while keeping his average well above .300 (it dipped to .284 in 2010), he is a fifth-round steal and undervalued on many sites.

PREVIOUS: Catchers, first basemen, second basemen, shortstops, third basemen

NEXT: Outfielders

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Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Fantasy baseball: Early 2012 rankings -- third basemen

Prior to the moves of Miguel Cabrera and Hanley Ramirez to third base, the position was one of the weakest in fantasy baseball.

Evan Longoria, who batted .244 last season, would have been No. 1. David Wright, who hit .254 and was limited to 389 at-bats by injury, would have been No. 2, and Adrian Beltre -- who has been very good the last two years but was consistently mediocre in the previous five campaigns -- would have been ranked third.

Now, the position has a pair of hammers at the top -- the player we believe is the second-best overall (Cabrera) and the player who, until last year, was a consensus top-two or top-three overall choice (Ramirez).

Let's get to our final pre-spring training rankings among the infielders ...

Note: All players are ranked at the positions at which they are expected to spend the most time in 2012, not all positions at which they are eligible. ... Stats are from 2011.

Rank, player, team R-HR-RBI-SB-Avg.
1. Miguel Cabrera, Tigers 111-30-105-2-.344
2. Hanley Ramirez, Marlins 55-10-45-20-.243
3. Evan Longoria, Rays 78-31-99-3-.244
4. David Wright, Mets 60-14-61-13-.254
5. Adrian Beltre, Rangers 82-32-105-1-.296
6. Kevin Youkilis, Red Sox 68-17-80-3-.258
7. Alex Rodriguez, Yankees 67-16-62-4-.276
8. Ryan Zimmerman, Nationals 52-12-49-3-.289
9. Pablo Sandoval, Giants 55-23-70-2-.315
10. Aramis Ramirez, Brewers 80-26-93-1-.306
11. Brett Lawrie, Blue Jays 26-9-25-7-.293
12. Ryan Roberts, Diamondbacks 86-19-65-18-.249
13. David Freese, Cardinals 41-10-55-1-.297
14. Mark Reynolds, Orioles 84-37-86-6-.221
15. Mike Moustakas, Royals 26-5-30-2-.263
16. Chipper Jones, Braves 56-18-70-2-.275
17. Chase Headley, Padres 43-4-44-13-.289
18. Pedro Alvarez, Pirates 18-4-19-1-.191
19. Danny Valencia, Twins 63-15-72-2-.246
20. Placido Polanco, Phillies 46-5-50-3-.277

Last three out: Lonnie Chisenhall, Indians; Brent Morel, White Sox; Ian Stewart, Cubs.

Eligibility notes: Jose Bautista is eligible at third base, but primarily is an outfielder. ... The Rangers' Michael Young should be eligible at third base in many leagues, but he will be Texas' DH (he will top our rankings at that "position"). ... The Braves' Martin Prado is an outfielder, as is the Marlins' Emilio Bonifacio.

Key stats: You likely will have to wait a couple of weeks for Ramirez to be eligible at third, but he should be worth the temporary inconvenience. The .306 career hitter had an injury-marred 2011. Prior to last season, however, he averaged 25 home runs, 78 RBI and 39 steals from 2006 to '10.

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Thursday, February 2, 2012

Fantasy baseball: Early 2012 rankings -- shortstops

This might be the position at which there is the biggest drop between the top two players -- Troy Tulowitzki and Jose Reyes -- and the rest of the field.

With Hanley Ramirez playing third base now that Reyes is with the Marlins, our No. 3 shortstop is the Tribe's Asdrubal Cabrera. On the surface, Cabrera's numbers were pretty darn good last season -- 25 homers, 92 RBI, 17 steals and 87 runs. Keep in mind, however, that, after posting a .293 average and .836 OPS in the first half of 2011, Cabrera batted .244 with a .729 OPS in the second half.

Throw in the fact that Cabrera's previous career highs were six homers and 68 RBI, and there is cause for concern.

Will Cabrera be productive again this season? Probably. But we don't expect him to be nearly as good as Tulowitzki (.302, 30 homers, 105 RBI and nine steals in 2011) and Reyes (101 runs, 39 steals and a .337 average last year).

Our top five shortstops are solid, as you would expect, but after that, it gets dicey. The No. 6 player at the position (at least in my mind), the Rangers' Elvis Andrus, scored 96 runs and had 37 steals, but he hit .279 last year and has no power. No. 7 J.J. Hardy had 30 homers and 80 RBI in 2011, but he had a combined 17 homers and 85 RBI in 2009 and '10.

On to the top 20 ...

Note: All players are ranked at the positions at which they are expected to spend the most time in 2012, not all positions at which they are eligible. ... Stats are from 2011.

Rank, player, team R-HR-RBI-SB-Avg.
1. Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies 81-30-105-9-.302
2. Jose Reyes, Marlins 101-7-44-39-.337
3. Asdrubal Cabrera, Indians 87-25-92-17-.273
4. Jimmy Rollins, Phillies 87-16-63-30-.268
5. Starlin Castro, Cubs 91-10-66-22-.307
6. Elvis Andrus, Rangers 96-5-60-37-.279
7. J.J. Hardy, Orioles 76-30-80-0-.269
8. Derek Jeter, Yankees 84-6-61-16-.297
9. Jhonny Peralta, Tigers 68-21-86-0-.299
10. Erick Aybar, Angels 71-10-59-30-.279
11. Alexei Ramirez, White Sox 81-15-70-7-.269
12. Dee Gordon, Dodgers 34-0-11-24-.304
13. Yunel Escobar, Blue Jays 77-11-48-3-.290
14. Ian Desmond, Nationals 65-8-49-25-.253
15. Rafael Furcal, Cardinals 44-8-28-9-.231
16. Stephen Drew, Diamondbacks 44-5-45-4-.252
17. Alcides Escobar, Royals 69-4-46-26-.254
18. Jed Lowrie, Astros 40-6-36-1-.252
19. Alex Gonzalez, Brewers 59-15-56-2-.241
20. Zack Cozart, Reds 6-2-3-0-.324

Last three out: Cliff Pennington, Athletics; Jason Bartlett, Padres; Ruben Tejada, Mets.

Eligibility notes: We have the Marlins' Ramirez ranked as our No. 2 third baseman, but he will be eligible at shortstop. ... Marco Scutaro was traded from Boston to Colorado, where he will move from shortstop to second base. ... Another Marlin, Emilio Bonifacio, is ranked at second base on many sites, but he is an outfielder.

Key stats: The only concern with Tulowitzki is injury. The last four seasons, he has had 377, 543, 470 and 537 at-bats. That's an average of 482 at-bats. He missed 14 of the Rockies' last 19 games in 2011.

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Fantasy baseball: Early 2012 rankings -- second basemen

When you think of deep positions in fantasy baseball, the obvious ones -- outfield, first base and starting pitcher -- come to mind.

Second base? Not so much.

That has certainly been the case the last couple of years, though. When I was researching all of the positions for a (ridiculously early) top 100 overall, eight of the top 80 were second basemen. That matches the total at first base. (I'm counting only the players whose primary position is first or second, not all eligible players at each position.)

Our eighth-ranked second baseman in 2012 is the Brewers' Rickie Weeks, who batted only .269 with 49 RBI last season, but hit 20 home runs. In 2010, Weeks had 29 homers, 83 RBI, 11 steals and 112 runs scored.

Our No. 7 second baseman is the Braves' Dan Uggla, who hit 36 homers and scored 88 runs last season, and has averaged 32 homers, 91 RBI and 98 runs in his six-year career.

A player who just missed the cut in the top 100 (which will be unveiled shortly; please hold your applause until the end) is the Angels' Howard Kendrick. Our No. 9 second baseman batted .285 with 18 homers, 86 runs and 14 steals last year.

Without further delay, our top second basemen ...

Note: All players are ranked at the positions at which they are expected to spend the most time in 2012, not all positions at which they are eligible. ... Stats are from 2011.

Rank, player, team R-HR-RBI-SB-Avg.
1. Robinson Cano, Yankees 104-28-118-8-.302
2. Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox 102-21-91-26-.307
3. Ian Kinsler, Rangers 121-32-77-30-.255
4. Brandon Phillips, Reds 94-18-82-14-.300
5. Chase Utley, Phillies 54-11-44-14-.259
6. Ben Zobrist, Rays 99-20-91-19-.269
7. Dan Uggla, Braves 88-36-82-1-.23
8. Rickie Weeks, Brewers 77-20-49-9-.269
9. Howard Kendrick, Angels 86-18-63-14-.285
10. Dustin Ackley, Mariners 39-6-36-6-.273
11. Neil Walker, Pirates 76-12-83-9-.273
12. Danny Espinosa, Nationals 72-21-66-17-.236
13. Jemile Weeks, Athletics 50-2-36-22-.303
14. Jason Kipnis, Indians 24-7-19-5-.272
15. Aaron Hill, Diamondbacks 61-8-61-21-.246
16. Kelly Johnson, Blue Jays 75-21-58-16-.222
17. Daniel Murphy, Mets 49-6-49-5-.320
18. Brian Roberts, Orioles 18-3-19-6-.221
19. Gordon Beckham, White Sox 60-10-44-5-.230
20. Omar Infante, Marlins 55-7-49-4-.276

Last three out: Marco Scutaro, Rockies; Jose Altuve, Astros; Darwin Barney, Cubs.

Eligibility notes: Zobrist could play a lot at first base and in the outfield, but he primarily was a second baseman in 2011. ... Arizona's versatile Ryan Roberts should be eligible here, but we have him ranked No. 12 at third base.

Key stats: In the last two seasons, Cano has norms of 29 homers, 114 RBI and 103 runs. He gets the nod over Pedroia because of his power.

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