Where there’s Smoak, there’s fire (Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports)
I am a fantasy baseball junkie. I will admit it. To me, there is nothing that rivals the managing skill needed to win a baseball league, particularly a roto one.
Football? Please! You only have to check your team twice a week. Once on Waiver Wednesday, and once again on Sunday morning. It’s for amateurs. Basketball comes close, with at least one game a day, but your options are limited if you like to play roto or category leagues. That said, it is a very suitable substitute when you need something to get you through the winter. Hockey is the same for those of you in hockey-mad states. It is a suitable subsititute.
Still, nothing compares to baseball.
There are literally dozens of categories you can choose from to customize your league. The options are nearly endless. Due to this, you can find hundreds of baseball leagues, and while most will be similar, it is tough to find a custom league that is exactly the same as another one. So the question I ask is this: why is it then that nearly all of the fantasy stuff you find to read about baseball applies only to standard 5×5 leagues? It’s difficult to even find good info on a basic auction league. Well, this is where I hope to help out.
First, my credentials. It is a necessary evil, I suppose. I have been playing fantasy baseball for about a dozen years now. I have won a few leagues, and try to stay in contention year round. I run three leagues on ESPN, all three of them are deep leagues. I run one 10×10 with a snake draft, one 10×10 with an auction draft, and an auction roto league with 40-man rosters. That’s right — 40. I generally stay away from basic leagues, but I have been stayed in the first league I ever joined, and we are still going strong on our 12th year. That is the only basic team I play. I have six other teams, all in various custom leagues, but none match the shallow waivers of my “MLB 400” league. I find that the gems I unearth there often can apply to most of my other teams, with the exception of the standard one. So I am here to help. I will let you know what players I like that are widely available that can help you in various deeper leagues.
Here are some hot pickups so far:
Catchers:
J.P. Arencibia, Rangers: Arencibia will get the bulk of the time with Geovany Soto out, and if he performs well in that capacity, could see 15-20 at bats a week even with Soto back. As we saw last year with the Blue Jays, his power is legit. The average? Well, he is a right-handed Adam Dunn.
Kurt Suzuki, Twins: He is the starting catcher with Joe Mauer spending most of his time at 1B/DH. Suzuki drove in three runs in the opener, and he was nearly an All-Star with Oakland a few years back. He is worth a flier as long as he can hold off Josmil Pinto.
First Base:
Justin Smoak, Mariners: Smoak has come out, well, on fire (sorry, I had to do it). He has two homers and seven RBI in just three games. Will he go the way of Chris Shelton in 2006? Maybe, but there is no reason not to ride the hot streak while it lasts.
Casey McGehee, Marlins: Fresh off of a nice year in Japan, McGehee has five RBI in ten at bats. That’s a pretty good ratio….
Mike Olt, Cubs: Olt was the big piece of the Garza deal, and was once a top-50 prospect. He just hasn’t been given the chance in the majors yet. The Cubs provide his best avenue for playing time. Let’s face it: the Cubbies need all the help they can get. The fact that he should have 3B eligibility in a week or two makes him low-risk/high-reward type player.
Mar 31, 2014; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Jose Fernandez (16) tips his cap after shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria (not pictured) makes a catch in the third inning of an opening day baseball game against the Colorado Rockies at Marlins Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Second Base:
Dustin Ackley, Mariners: He will probably see most of his playing time in CF, but us fantasy types don’t care. He is eligible at 2B and the OF, so that gives him a boost in value right there. Add that to the fact that he has four hits and four RBI in three games, and he is definitely worth a pick up right now. I think this is the year Ackley finally breaks out.
Emilio Bonifacio, Cubs: Boni is another guy that will spend a lot of time in the OF, but since you can play him at 2B, that makes him worth more than your average light-hitting OF. Bonifacio had four hits in the opener, and stole a base, too. He will get plenty of opportunities with the Cubs, so he is definitely worth an add.
Shortstop:
Adeiny Hechavarria, Marlins: With Rafael Furcal on the DL, Hechavarria should get the bulk of the starts at SS. He had three hits in the opener and has upside. You can do much worse.
Maicer Izturis, Blue Jays: Jose Reyes lasted one whole at bat before landing on the DL again. This leaves the door wide open for Izturis or Jonathan Diaz. I would go with Izturis because of experience, and there is no guarantee that Ryan Goins will hit enough to stay in the lineup at 2B.
Sep 20, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Cody Asche (25) reacts to being tagged out at third base while trying to stretch a double into a triple during the sixth inning against the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park. The Mets defeated the Phillies 6-4. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Third Base:
Cody Asche, Phillies: The rookie might be in a straight platoon, but he had a monster game in the opener, and I’m betting that he takes over the hot corner job all to his own by the end of April. Pick him up while you can. I did.
Juan Uribe, Dodgers: Yes, he has no upside. Yes, he doesn’t do much of anything special. But he is a decent hitter with a starting job (for now) in a potent lineup. There are stats to be had as long as he is in the lineup.
Outfield:
Junior Lake, Cubs: He is one of the best prospects in the Cubs organization, which is saying a lot. He might have some difficultly getting in the lineup every day in the early going, but as long as he gets three-plus starts a week, he is worth picking up if you have the room. There is a lot of potential here.
Oswaldo Arcia, Twins: He is the first in a long line of prospects that will make their way to Minneapolis in the next couple of years. Arcia didn’t do much last year, but he has good power, and makes good contact. He will break out at some point.
Marcell Ozuna, Marlins: He made a few waves last year, and had three hits in the opener. Yes, I know, the Rockies’ staff could make Duane Kuiper look like Hack Wilson, but it isn’t all smoke and mirrors. He isn’t as talked about (or owned) as fellow Marlins prospect Christian Yelich, but he will provide good value, especially if you get him for nothing.
Juan Lagares, Mets: He is supposedly in a platoon with the somewhat fragile Eric Young Jr, but Lagares had a great spring, and homered on Opening Day. He will find plenty of at bats to help your team in a Mets outfield that is largely void of talent.
Seth Smith, Padres: Smith hit a home run in each of the first two games. While he is classified as a utility outfielder, I would bet that he still starts around five games per week. That is enough to help your team.
Abraham Almonte, Mariners: He has three hits and two RBI batting leadoff in a Seattle lineup that scored 26 runs in three games so far. He will play nearly every day, and will put up enough counting stats to warrant a roster spot.
Aaron Hicks, Twins: Is this a slight case of homer-ism? Possibly, but Hicks has as many hits as he had in his first 49 at bats of last season. There is a reason why he was considered a top-50 prospect. He gets on base. Granted, batting leadoff for the Twins he will probably score as many runs as if he were leading off for the Bad News Bears, but getting in on the ground floor could pay off. Especially if your league counts BB or OBP.