"Issue Number 7"- Must Have Keepers!

This week the Fantasy Man asks, "Gentlemen, now that we are entering the home stretch and trading deadlines are approaching, in keeper leagues, who is the single best keeper for next year or years to come age 27 or younger???? Who do you recommend as an absolute MUST HAVE KEEPER for 2007.... under 27???? Remember, price doesn't matter!"

TP's Keepers:

Another good question from the Fantasy Man. I could make this one really easy and just say keep Albert Pujols, no matter what he'll cost you next year, but I won't, because we all know that already. It's too easy, too obvious. So instead, what I will try to do here is pick two guys that I think are must keep guys that may not be so obvious to fantasy managers. These are guys that are young, have outstanding potential, have already started to blossom, and will make an even greater impact next year. These are guys that will be hot commodities next season and could be a great foundation for your team going into the draft.

My first player is Francisco Liriano. This is a guy that most people didn't know at the beginning of this season, but has emerged as one of the best pitchers in baseball. He's a dominant left hander that has unbelievable stuff. He throws a hard slider that no one can hit. He was babied at the beginning of the season by Minnesota, and didn't make his first start until May 19th, but has been stellar since, winning 12 games already and sporting the lowest ERA and BAA in baseball among starters. This guy is a must keep in any league format. He gives you everything you want from a pitcher. High strikeouts, low walks, low ERA, low WHIP, and wins. What more could you ask? And to top it off, he pitches along side fellow lefthand stud and close friend Johan Santana. These two are already the best one, two punch in baseball and will be next season as well. If you have him, keep him. PERIOD.

My second player is Grady Sizemore. This is a guy that is up and coming, has already proven that he's a five tool player, and is still getting better. This season, he's batting .307, with 16 Home Runs, 31 Doubles, 49 RBI's, 82 Runs, and 15 Stolen Bases. He's already making his mark in the majors and he doesn't turn 24 until next week. This guys five tool ability makes him very valuable in the keeper market. What better feeling could you have than going into a draft knowing that you already have a young 5 tool player laying the foundation for your team? If you have him, keep him. If you let him go, he will be a very hot commodity at your draft next season and you'll have to pay a lot more to get him. He is a must keep stud.

Francisco Liriano and Grady Sizemore are two guys that must be kept this season in keeper leagues. They are young, already great at what they do, getting better by the day, and will both be great fantasy players next season barring injury. If you have them, keep them. If you don't, try to work out a deal with the manager that has them. These two will help you through the end of this year and will be even better next.

Well, that's it for now. Feel free to post comments to the tagboard, or email me at fantasyozone@yahoo.com

TP

"Issue Number 6"- Midseason Call Ups

This week, The Fantasy Man asks, "Since people are inquiring on a daily basis, who are some players who have been called up, are playing regularly or somewhat regularly, and can possibly create a spark on your fantasy team if you can get them?"

Scott's mid-season picks:

Well, this poses an interesting question!! Whereas it's pretty easy to
find a breakout star or "stud" rookie(Liriano/Weaver/etc.), it's a little tougher to find a great mid-season call-up. You have to look at the numbers, obviously, but you also have to make a decision: is this player a flash in the pan and will fade when September rolls around? Or will this person be rock-solid and provide the boost to either get his team in the playoffs or advance far in them? With this in mind, I have selected these two call-ups:

1) Jon Lester, SP-Red Sox. The numbers speak for themselves(4-0/3.06
ERA/30 K's in 32.1 innings), but it's the little things that make me want this guy come crunch time. First, he gives the Red Sox key depth behind Beckett and Schilling, and provides that key 3rd starter when the playoffs start. I've seen him pitch a few times, and his stuff looks real good. He doesn't overpower like Liriano and Verlander, but his accuracy is top-notch and he can bring a good fastball with 2 other "out" pitches. I predict that he will finish with 10 wins, an ERA in the 3's, and be a key component to making the Red Sox division champs and my sleeper pick to win it all.

2) Zach Miner, SP-Detroit Tigers. Now, I know it's better to pick a
pitcher and a position player to even things out a bit, but I'm going
against the grain here-and for good reason. Since Mike Maroth went
down to an elbow injury, all he's done is go 6-1 with a 2.57 ERA and hasn't allowed more than 3 runs in his seven starts. He's not dominating either, but he has great location, a nasty change-up, and already pitches like a veteran. He is on the best team in baseball, and gives them a #5 starter that could be a #2 on half the teams in the majors. Look for him to continue to shine, put up more wins even if he struggles a bit(attn: Tigers' O), and my crystal ball is showing me a game 4 ALCS with Lester/Miner on the bill........not too shabby for a couple mid-season callups!!!!!


TP's mid-season picks:

First I should say that the fantasy man has given us another great question to work with here. When it comes to mid-season call ups that can help a fantasy team, I will advise most fantasy managers to be careful. There are always a few guys that get called up mid-season that can help a fantasy team, but not many. When talking about hitters, you should only take a chance on these guys if certain conditions apply. For instance, you have an outfielder that is nicked up and will be on the DL for two weeks. You may be able to find a guy that was called up and has been hot early to fill in for them. However, many of these guys (but not always) find success early but then cool off dramatically due to the pitching they're facing. They may be able to help you short term, but dropping an established major leaguer to pick up a guy that was called up mid-season could come back to haunt you later. So don't get too caught up in them unless they're just mashing the ball. However, once in a while you may be lucky enough to find a guy that will have a great season for the rest of the way. Like a Jeff Francouer a while back. Was called up and tore it up the rest of the season, establishing himself as a major leaguer.

As a fantasy manager, you must always be on the lookout for potential minor league call ups. You should keep a close eye on guys that are having very good seasons in the minors. Once a guy is called up, watch their first few games closely. Usually you can tell if a guy is going to have a bad time in the majors by taking a close look at his first few games. Once in a while you may get lucky and find the guy that's going to make a positive impact for the rest of the season. If you're that guy, it can give you the boost you need to climb to the top of standings.......Happy Hunting!

Here are a couple of guys that I think could make an impact under the right conditions for the remainder of this season.......I also went with two pitchers, mainly because I'm more excited about what's available from a pitching standpoint this season than I am from a hitting standpoint.

Jared Weaver-SP LA Angels- Jared is a great young pitcher who got a taste earlier in the season while Bartolo Colon was on the DL. He was demoted to AAA when Colon came off the DL, but his stay was short, and has now returned to the rotation. Ironically, his call up, this time permanent, was due to his brother Jeff being traded to St. Louis. In six starts this season, he is 6-0 with a 1.12 ERA and a WHIP of 0.74....In many leagues he is no longer available, but if he's on the waiver wire in your league, SNAG HIM NOW! He has great stuff and will be a factor the rest of the season.

Chuck James-SP-Atlanta Braves- James is the Braves top pitching prospect, and was called up on June 25th. Since then, he has a 3-0 record with an ERA of 3.15. He has a very good changeup that compliments a low 90's fastball. This kid has incredible command of his pitches, especially working the corners of the plate. He moves the ball in and out very well. The only downfall is that he leaves the ball up, on occasion, giving up the long ball. If he can keep the ball at the knees, he will be VERY effective in the majors. I look for this kid to win at least 7 games in the second half and have an ERA less than 4 and a whip around 1.20.

Well, that's it for now. Feel free to post comments on the tagboard, or email me at fantasyozone@yahoo.com.

TP